The Veteran's initial disability ratings for various conditions, including cervical spine disability and atrial fibrillation, were denied. The right shoulder bursitis, right elbow disability, crush injuries to the left hand digits, and right knee medial meniscus tear received compensable disability ratings.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not meet the criteria for higher initial disability ratings or additional compensable ratings for some conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease of the Cervical Spine, Atrial Fibrillation, Right Shoulder Bursitis, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Right Elbow, Crush Injury to Left Third Digit of Hand, Crush Injury to Left Fourth Digit of Hand, Right Knee Medial Meniscus Tear, Left First and Third Toe Disabilities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19113924
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,893 · 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 19113924.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
Service connection for OSA is granted, and the Veteran's initial ratings for atrial fibrillation, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right upper extremity neuralgia, and left upper extremity neuralgia are all granted at 10 percent.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for Congestive Heart Failure with Atrial Fibrillation with AICD and Hypertension (High Blood Pressure), finding that there was no evidence of direct service connection, and that the conditions were not caused or aggravated by service-connected OSA.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for SMC in excess of SMC(n) based on his service-connected conditions and additional disabilities, as well as his need for aid and attendance. The appeal was dismissed.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and atrial fibrillation as secondary to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder.
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