The Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disorders were denied as not incurred or aggravated by service.,Obstructive sleep apnea was also denied as unrelated to service. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and erectile dysfunction are currently under consideration due to their potential secondary relationship with his psychiatric condition.,The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed for the PTSD claim and for the erectile dysfunction claim.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disorders were not found to be directly related to service, as there was no evidence of chronic conditions during or shortly after service. The Board also noted that the Veteran did not have a credible history of back pain in service.,Obstructive sleep apnea was not linked to service based on the lack of relevant symptoms and normal examinations at separation. The claim for PTSD is under consideration, as it may be related to an in-service sexual assault, which requires additional evidence from sources other than the Veteran's service records.,The erectile dysfunction claim is intertwined with the psychiatric disorder claim. A new VA examination is needed to determine if there is a secondary relationship between the psychiatric condition and the erectile dysfunction.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"Cervical spine disorder","status":"denied"}, {"condition_name":"Lumbar spine disorder","status":"denied"}, {"condition_name":"Obstructive sleep apnea","status":"denied"}, {"condition_name":"Acquired psychiatric disorder (to include posttraumatic stress disorder)","status":"remanded"}, {"condition_name":"Erectile dysfunction","status":"remanded"}
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19164180
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 19164180.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for myasthenia gravis based on the Veteran's exposure to hazardous substances during his military service.
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