The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied. His back disability is rated at 40 percent, his sleep disorder was not found to be related to service or secondary to a service-connected condition, and his bilateral knee disorder was also not found to be related to service.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not meet the criteria for an increased rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The Veteran's sleep disorder and bilateral knee disorder were not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar sacral spine, Sleep disorder, Bilateral knee disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 26, 2018
- Citation
- 1825970
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 1825970.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, bilateral knee disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for generalized anxiety disorder and a sleep disorder as there is no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after service, and the Veteran's statements regarding their onset in service are not credible.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to duty-to-assist errors and insufficient medical opinions. The issues include PTSD, neck disorder, back disorder, left-hand disorder, bilateral foot disorders, and bilateral knee disorders.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a sleep disorder, finding that there is no current diagnosis of a separate and distinct sleep disorder. The Veteran's sleep symptoms are considered part of his service-connected bipolar disorder I.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.