The Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, as well as his OSA, were granted service connection. The cardiovascular and respiratory conditions are remanded for further examination.,Service connection was established for the Veteran's psychiatric disorder, claimed as PTSD.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is sufficient evidence to support a current diagnosis of the disabilities in question and that they are at least as likely as not related to service. However, additional development is required for cardiovascular and respiratory conditions due to lack of VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), Cardiovascular disabilities, to include atrial fibrillation and coronary artery disease, Respiratory disabilities, to include sinusitis and allergic rhinitis, Psychiatric disorder, claimed as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Left total knee arthroplasty
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 6, 2022
- Citation
- 22000814
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,316 · Granted: 43% (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 22000814.
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 service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, finding that there is no nexus between the current disability and active duty service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), finding that both conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lower back condition and sinusitis, respectively.
- 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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher level of SMC was denied as the Board found that he is already in receipt of SMC at the (l) rate based on need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease with congestive heart failure. A second award of SMC at the (l) rate based on need for regular aid and attendance was not warranted.
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