The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, unspecified depressive disorder, is granted. The issues of service connection for alcohol abuse as secondary to service-connected PTSD and obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to alcohol abuse and service-connected PTSD are remanded. Service connection for hypertension due to service-connected disabilities (including diabetes mellitus) and herbicide exposure is also remanded. Service connection for a skin disorder due to herbicide exposure is remanded. The issue of entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for PTSD is remanded. TDIU is also remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder was found to be at least as likely as not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, resolving the doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD (unspecified depressive disorder), Obstructive sleep apnea, Hypertension (due to service-connected PTSD, unspecified depressive disorder, type II diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease; due to herbicide exposure), Skin disorder (due to service-connected diabetes mellitus)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20036191
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 20036191.
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 due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding whether the Veteran's current conditions are aggravated by his service-connected DDD of the lumbosacral spine. The AOJ is required to obtain new medical opinions addressing this issue.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for obstructive sleep apnea and headaches, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of persistent daytime hypersomnolence or other manifestations consistent with a compensable disability rating under the criteria established by Diagnostic Codes. The matter is remanded to obtain additional information from the Veteran regarding his headaches and their impact on his daily life.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected residuals of left foot 5th metatarsal fracture.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea has been granted, with the effective date set at June 25, 2019.
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