The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a lumbosacral spine disorder and a fungal disorder of the right hand is dismissed. The effective date of December 23, 2013 for service connection for GERD associated with chronic sinusitis is granted. The appeals for rating in excess of 10 percent for chronic sinusitis and sinus headaches associated with chronic sinusitis and service connection for obstructive sleep apnea are remanded.
The deciding factor: The effective date of December 23, 2013 was granted as the GERD is secondary to service-connected chronic sinusitis which existed at that time.
- Claimed conditions
- GERD, lumbosacral spine disorder, fungal disorder of the right hand, chronic sinusitis, obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- December 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19194024
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 19194024.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to a duty to assist error.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a deviated septum and denied compensable ratings for allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, hypothyroidism, and hypertension.
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