The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's CAD and hypertension are granted as service-connected due to in-service exposure to herbicide agents.,The Veteran's Barrett’s esophagus and mild gastritis (GERD) are denied as not related to his military service.,Right knee disability is reopened, with the claim for service connection being granted.
The deciding factor: Service connection is established based on a longitudinal review of the record showing current diagnoses and in-service history supporting the condition.,The Veteran's CAD and hypertension are presumed due to herbicide agent exposure during service. The evidence supports this presumption, including recent post-service diagnosis and medical opinion linking it to service.,There is no credible evidence that the Veteran’s Barrett’s esophagus and mild gastritis began in or was related to his military service. The preponderance of evidence does not support a link between these conditions and service.,The new evidence submitted since the 2009 denial links the current right knee disability to service, including in-service injuries.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertension, Barrett’s esophagus and mild gastritis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19183238
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,446 · Granted: 21% (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 19183238.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no competent evidence to support a finding that his current condition began in or as a result of service.
- Denied
The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as there is no current diagnosis of this condition during the appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.