The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, and evaluations in excess of the current ratings for his back disorder, neuropathy of the lower extremities, and neuropathy of the upper extremities have all been denied. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the Veteran's current sleep apnea to his military service or a service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners provided clear conclusions with supporting data, finding no objective evidence of obstructive sleep apnea during service or shortly thereafter and noting that the delay in diagnosis is not explained by any medical records. The Veteran's lay statements were considered but found to be insufficient to establish a direct link between his current symptoms and military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Sleep Apnea, Thoracolumbar Spine Injury Residuals with Degenerative Disc Disease at T8-T9 and T9-T10 (Back Disorder), Neuropathy of the Right Lower Extremity, Neuropathy of the Left Lower Extremity, Neuropathy of the Right Upper Extremity, Neuropathy of the Left Upper Extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 28, 2022
- Citation
- 22018236
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 22018236.
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 sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service.
- Denied
The claims for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder, memory loss/memory problems, chronic fatigue, sleep difficulties/sleep disturbances, and sleep apnea have been denied. The claim for service connection for residuals of testicular denervation and varicosectomy has been granted.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's asthma is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's sleep apnea claim has been remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection claims have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for PTSD, denied service connection for CFS, mast cell activation syndrome, and sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD, and remanded TDIU.
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.