The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea has been reopened, and his claims for initial ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities have been granted. However, he is still denied an effective date prior to certain dates.
The deciding factor: New evidence was submitted that supported a relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and PTSD, which led to reopening of the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive sleep apnea, Peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, Diabetes mellitus, type II, Peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19127605
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a disability rating of 50 percent for the Veteran's left shoulder disability and service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, both secondary to his service-connected left shoulder disability.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, chronic rhinitis, and obstructive sleep apnea. The headache claim was remanded for further examination.
- Partly granted
The appeal was denied for service connection of a cervical spine disorder, and several claims were remanded for further development.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the R(1) rate due to his need for regular aid and attendance.
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