The Veteran's claim of service connection for a left knee condition has been reopened and is granted.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD) is denied.,Service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is denied.,Service connection for a heart condition is denied.,Service connection for a left hip condition, right hip condition, lower back condition, and skin issues are all denied.,Service connection for sleep apnea (claimed as sleep issues) is denied.
The deciding factor: New evidence presented by the Veteran indicates that his left knee condition may be related to overcompensation from a service-connected right knee injury. However, this does not establish a direct link between his current condition and military service.,The Veteran's major depressive disorder was diagnosed post-service and is not linked to any in-service event or disease. The Board finds the diagnosis of PTSD due to an IED explosion in Riyadh is unsupported by the evidence.,There is no evidence of CFS during service, and the Veteran did not serve in Southwest Asia. Therefore, his current condition cannot be attributed to military service.,The Veteran's heart condition was not shown as chronic in service or within a presumptive period. There is also no evidence linking it to any in-service injury or disease.,There is no evidence of left hip, right hip, lower back, or skin issues during service. The Board finds that these conditions are not related to military service.,The Veteran's sleep apnea was diagnosed post-service and there is no evidence linking it to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Knee Condition, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (claimed as PTSD), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Heart Condition, Left Hip Condition, Right Hip Condition, Lower Back Condition, Skin Issues, Sleep Apnea (claimed as Sleep Issues)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19179161
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 service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
- 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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an increased initial evaluation of 70 percent for PTSD but denied evaluations in excess of 10% for tension headaches and in excess of 30% for IBS, and denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome. The claims for additional service connections were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for service-connected obstructive sleep apnea and granted service connection for lumbar discogenic pain with right radiculopathy, left thumb injury residuals, bilateral hand tremors, chronic rhinitis (presumptively), and chronic sinusitis.,The Veteran's lumbar discogenic pain with right radiculopathy is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
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