The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea syndrome was found to have been incurred in service, and the appeal for service connection is granted.
The deciding factor: Service treatment records show no complaints or treatments for OSA during service. However, lay statements indicate he had symptoms of OSA during service, including loud snoring, difficulty breathing while sleeping, stopping breathing at night, and being regularly fatigued during the day. The Veteran's sleep apnea was first diagnosed eight years after separation from service.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20004434
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,480 · Granted: 26% (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 20004434.
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 multiple conditions, including right and left shoulder pain, nephrolithiasis, bilateral hearing loss, obstructive sleep apnea, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, and upper extremity radiculopathy. The claims were not granted.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome associated with PTSD, finding that no claim was filed prior to March 14, 2022.
- Granted
The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is proximately due to his service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Board has granted the claim for service connection.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for migraines and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his active duty service. The decision is based on evidence showing a link between the conditions and his service-connected anxiety disorder.
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