The Board has granted service connection for low back pain, OSA, and DM due to their proximate relationship with the Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder. The Veteran was also granted an initial disability rating of 70 percent for his major depressive disorder.
The deciding factor: The positive nexus opinions from private physicians linked the Veteran’s service-connected depression to his low back pain, OSA, and DM, establishing a causal relationship under secondary service connection criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- severe lumbar injury, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), diabetes mellitus, type 2 (DM)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- November 9, 2018
- Citation
- 18149311
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 18149311.
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 OSA is granted as service connected. The Veteran's infectious disease claim and stomach disability claim are remanded for further examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to errors in obtaining relevant medical records and authorization for private treatment providers. The issues include heart disorder, OSA, sinusitis, lumbar spine disorder, and right knee disorder all related to Agent Orange exposure.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with persistent depressive disorder and insomnia.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and gastroesophageal reflux disease due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.
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