The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been granted.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for granuloma (also claimed as sarcoidosis and skin condition).,The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for granuloma (also claimed as sarcoidosis and skin condition) is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has a current diagnosis of PTSD that is related to his military service, including serving in the DMZ in Korea and dealing with incoming fire across the DMZ.,Additional evidence received after the December 2008 rating decision relates to unestablished facts necessary to substantiate the claim for service connection for granuloma (also claimed as sarcoidosis and skin condition), raising a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.,The Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his military service, including trouble sleeping while in service, including waking up in the middle of the night choking for air.,The nature and etiology of any granuloma/sarcoidosis are unclear due to lack of a VA examiner opinion. The Veteran’s treating physician provided a statement indicating it is at least as possible as not that exposure to hazardous chemicals while he was in the military could have contributed to his diagnosis, but did not provide sufficient rationale for this opinion.,The current severity of the Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae needs to be determined through an examination by an appropriate clinician. The examiner should attempt to elicit information regarding the severity, frequency, and duration of any flare-ups, and the degree of functional loss during flare-ups.,TDIU is dependent upon the impact of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities on his ability to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Granuloma (also claimed as sarcoidosis and skin condition), Sleep Apnea, Pseudofolliculitis Barbae
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19117082
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,797 · Granted: 20% (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 19117082.
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 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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