The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability is not the cause of his obstructive sleep apnea, but he has been unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities since May 1, 2015.,From May 1, 2015 to April 18, 2016, the Veteran was granted a TDIU.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence shows that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is not caused by his service-connected psychiatric disability. However, he has been unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities since May 1, 2015.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive sleep apnea, Other specified trauma-and stressor related disorder with depressive symptoms
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- July 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20048850
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 20048850.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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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