The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a TDIU, an increased rating for his psychiatric disorder, and earlier effective dates for both his service-connected disabilities. The decision is final as the Veteran did not appeal the July 2018 Board decision.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable due to their combined effect on his ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Claimed conditions
- unspecified trauma-related disorder, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- October 19, 2020
- Citation
- 20067501
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea syndrome was found to have been incurred during service, and the Board granted service connection for this condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, vascular eczema, and migraine headaches have been denied as there is no competent evidence of a current disability or in-service incurrence/aggravation.,There was no diagnosis of sleep apnea during service or post-service. The Veteran did not report any symptoms related to sleep disturbances.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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