The Veteran's service connection for insomnia is granted as secondary to her service-connected back and hip disabilities. An increased rating of 40 percent, but no higher, is granted for her thoracic spine disability. A TDIU rating is granted based on her unemployability due to her service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's testimony supported by medical records established that her insomnia was secondary to pain from her service-connected back and hip disabilities, warranting the grant of service connection. The increased rating for her thoracic spine disability is based on her consistent reports of severe pain and functional impairment. The TDIU rating is granted due to her unemployability caused by her service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Insomnia, Thoracic spine (upper back) disability, Neck disability, Left knee disability, Right knee disability, Service-connected right hip disability, Chest disability, Left upper extremity tingling, Right upper extremity tingling, Left foot arthritis and numbness, Right foot arthritis and numbness
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- October 26, 2018
- Citation
- 18145059
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 18145059.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU claim for bilateral knee disabilities and his right and left knee scars have been granted. He is now rated at a combined 60% disability rating from June 1, 2018 based on bilateral factors for his bilateral knee disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's entitlement to higher level of SMC at the intermediate rate is granted, effective from January 8, 2021. He was previously in need of aid and attendance due to his left knee disability since February 1, 2017, and now has additional disabilities rated at 50 percent or more.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate opinion regarding the relationship between any current acquired psychiatric disorder and service, specifically a claimed in-service personal assault. The Veteran's contentions are that he did not report or seek treatment for this assault because he feared it would complicate his discharge.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability, finding that his current diagnosis of right knee strain is related to his military service.
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