The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder.,Service connection for pancreatitis is denied.,Service connection for restless leg condition of the right lower extremity and left lower extremity is denied.,Service connection for tinnitus is denied.,An effective date earlier than October 14, 2016 for grant of service connection for major depressive disorder is granted.
The deciding factor: The private opinion indicated that the Veteran’s obstructive sleep apnea was caused by his service-connected major depressive disorder and medications used to treat it.,There is no evidence linking pancreatitis to active duty service.,No medical or lay statements indicate a current restless leg condition of the right lower extremity and left lower extremity related to service.,The Veteran's tinnitus was not caused by military noise exposure, as explained by the VA examiner.,Service connection for major depressive disorder is granted with an effective date of October 14, 2016.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, pancreatitis, restless leg condition of the right lower extremity, restless leg condition of the left lower extremity, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- January 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20005654
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous 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).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, cubital tunnel syndrome, right plantar fasciitis, and a right knee disability due to the lack of evidence supporting a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
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