The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and a mental health condition (depressive disorder) secondary to his lumbosacral strain have been granted. The Board found that the Veteran had continuous symptoms of sleep problems since service, including loud snoring and interrupted breathing, which led to a diagnosis of moderate obstructive sleep apnea. Additionally, the Veteran's depressive disorder was related to his service-connected lumbosacral strain.
The deciding factor: The evidence established that the Veteran experienced sleep problems in service and had continuous symptoms since then, leading to a current diagnosis of sleep apnea. The Board also found that the Veteran's depressive disorder was caused by his service-connected lumbosacral strain.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2020
- Citation
- 20071727
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,934 · Granted: 41% (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 20071727.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease manifesting within one year after service and concluding that the current disability is not related to his in-service deviated septum.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran will be provided with a VA examination to determine if his current sleep disorder is related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the issue of service connection for sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions and need for further development.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claims for sleep apnea and an increased disability rating for diabetes mellitus, type II.
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