The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD and diabetes mellitus is granted. The claims for initial compensable ratings for allergic rhinitis, cataracts, and bilateral hearing loss are denied. The claim for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus remains denied. The effective dates for the grants of service connection for rhinitis and cataracts remain denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to be secondary to his service-connected PTSD and diabetes mellitus, as supported by medical opinion and lay statements.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, allergic rhinitis, cataracts, hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, asthma, COPD, insomnia, renal dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- January 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19104494
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,836 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19104494.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no competent evidence to support a finding that his current condition began in or as a result of service.
- Denied
The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as there is no current diagnosis of this condition during the appeal period.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between his current respiratory disability and active duty service. The VA examiner concluded that the COPD was more likely due to tobacco use rather than asbestos exposure in service.
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