The Board denied the Veteran's claims for TDIU, service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, and a rating in excess of 70 percent for his psychiatric disorder. The effective date for the award of a 70 percent rating for his psychiatric disorder was set at August 26, 2014.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable as he could still perform substantially gainful employment despite his conditions.
- 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
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,810 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of increased rating for unspecified trauma related disorder and service connection for PTSD due to in-service stressors. A new VA examination is required to determine the appropriate diagnosis and current severity of the Veteran's conditions.
- 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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to April 19, 2017 for the increased 70 percent evaluation of their service-connected unspecified trauma-related disorder with adjustment disorder with mixed anxious and depressed mood has been dismissed as the Board has already adjudicated these issues in July 2021 and March 2023.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome associated with PTSD, finding that no claim was filed prior to March 14, 2022.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.