Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is granted, and service connection for other foot conditions (right and left) are dismissed. Service connection for low back disability, bilateral lower extremity neurological condition, pes planus, right and left foot Morton's neuroma, right and left foot hammer toes, right and left knee disabilities, and right and left ankle disabilities are remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current conditions are presumed related to service exposure due to burn pit hazards.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Bilateral Lower Extremity Neurological Condition (claimed as 'painful nerves' of the feet), Bilateral Pes Planus, Right Foot Morton's Neuroma, Left Foot Morton's Neuroma, Right Foot Hammer Toes, Left Foot Hammer Toes, Right Knee Disability, Left Knee Disability, Right Ankle Disability, Left Ankle Disability
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 4, 2022
- Citation
- 22020136
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 22020136.
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 Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are rated at 10% each, and the Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability, finding that there is no evidence to support an etiological relationship between his current condition and his military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds no evidence of clear and unmistakable error in assigning an effective date of June 19, 2002.
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