The Veteran's right foot drop, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and service-connected right knee disability are all considered secondary. The claim for obstructive sleep apnea was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners concluded that the Veteran’s conditions were at least as likely as not aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Right Foot Drop, Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbar Spine, Hypertension, Erectile Dysfunction, Acquired Psychiatric Disability (PTSD and Antisocial Personality Disorder)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- June 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19145874
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,913 · Granted: 30% (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 19145874.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected left knee and left ankle conditions.
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