The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran is already compensated for insomnia as a symptom of his PTSD, and there was no evidence of an earlier effective date for fibromyalgia or left knee patellofemoral syndrome. Service connection for photophobia, TBI, IBS, sleep apnea, migraine headaches, and GERD were not established based on the provided medical opinions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's insomnia is a symptom of his service-connected PTSD, which precludes separate compensation for insomnia. The effective date claims were denied due to lack of prior claims or evidence of entitlement before the dates in question. Service connection was not established for photophobia, TBI, IBS, sleep apnea, migraine headaches, and GERD based on the provided medical opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- Insomnia, Fibromyalgia, Photophobia, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Sleep Apnea, Left Shoulder Injury, Right Shoulder Injury, Low Back Injury, Right Pes Planus, Left Pes Planus, Migraine Headaches, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2020
- Citation
- 20014949
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 20014949.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service.
- Granted
The Veteran's 50% disability rating for migraine headaches was restored as the evidence did not show actual improvement in his ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work.
- Denied
The claims for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder, memory loss/memory problems, chronic fatigue, sleep difficulties/sleep disturbances, and sleep apnea have been denied. The claim for service connection for residuals of testicular denervation and varicosectomy has been granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, right knee meniscal tear, and IBS, have rendered him unable to secure or follow any substantially gainful employment from May 1, 2020 to May 1, 2021. The Board finds that the evidence is in balance, with all reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.
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