The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea has been reopened and granted. The claim for service connection for a heart condition was denied as new and material evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.,Service connection is granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depressive disorder.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's sleep apnea may be related to his military service based on testimony from a fellow service member who observed him being tired all the time in service. The heart condition was denied as there was no evidence linking it to service or Gulf War exposure.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depressive disorder, is granted due to credible supporting evidence of a stressor related to military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (including PTSD and depressive disorder), Heart Condition, Back Condition, Right Shoulder Disability
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19176877
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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 70% rating for PTSD from November 25, 2015 to August 12, 2024 and a 40% rating for the right shoulder disability. It also granted 10% ratings for both feet and 20% ratings for knee patellofemoral pain syndromes.
- Remanded (sent back)
The character of the appellant's uncharacterized discharge is not a bar to the receipt of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits; to this extent only, the claim is granted.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including PTSD, IBS, cardiac arrhythmia, CFS, chronic headaches, chronic sinusitis, dyspnea, and fibromyalgia. The claim for bilateral pes planus was remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and to ensure compliance with VA's duty to assist.
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