The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, but granted a 70 percent rating for major depressive disorder and insomnia disorder effective August 8, 2014.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the preponderance of evidence showing that the Veteran's OSA did not originate during his active-duty service and is not otherwise related or attributable to his service, including caused or aggravated by his service-connected mental disorder. However, it was found that throughout the period on appeal, his MDD and insomnia disorder have caused what amounts to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
- Claimed conditions
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Insomnia Disorder, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 11, 2022
- Citation
- 22001356
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,669 · 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 22001356.
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 of entitlement to service connection for vertigo and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran's hearing loss is not rated higher than 10 percent.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the claims for service connection for OSA and insomnia must be remanded due to inadequate VA examinations and opinions, as well as a failure to obtain TERA opinions on all relevant exposures.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and a separate rating for chronic pulmonary embolism due to inadequate VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The Veteran's lay statements and medical records are considered in determining whether there is a nexus between current symptoms and service.
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