The Veteran's claims for PTSD and obstructive sleep apnea were denied. The Board found that there was no competent evidence linking these conditions to his military service. For the lumbar spine disabilities, a remand is required as the most recent VA examination did not include range of motion findings in accordance with Correia v. McDonald.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims for PTSD and obstructive sleep apnea were denied because there was no competent evidence linking these conditions to his military service. For the lumbar spine disabilities, a remand is required as the most recent VA examination did not include range of motion findings in accordance with Correia v. McDonald.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Lumbar Spondylosis, Degenerative Arthritis and Facet Joint Arthritis, Residuals of Fracture C6 with Degenerative Disc Disease, C5-C6
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 30, 2018
- Citation
- 1818681
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 1818681.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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