The Veteran's claim for residuals of exposure to volcanic ash has been reopened, and service connection is granted.,Service connection is also granted for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).,Service connection for glaucoma is denied.,Service connection for left ankle degenerative arthritis is remanded.
The deciding factor: New evidence has been received that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the Veteran's claim for residuals of exposure to volcanic ash. The Veteran reported intermittent symptoms of bronchitis during service, and his wife provided corroborating lay statements.,The Veteran had severe OSA diagnosed in service, which is considered an unexplained respiratory disability. His current diagnosis aligns with this condition.,There is no direct evidence linking the glaucoma to service or volcanic ash exposure. The VA examiner opined that it was less likely than not related to service due to its onset years after service and unrelated to any in-service incident, including a subconjunctival hemorrhage post-trauma in 1989.,The Veteran reported respiratory issues during service, which included bronchitis. A remand is required as the December 2017 VA examiner's opinion was inadequate due to lack of consideration of his testimony and contentions.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of exposure to volcanic ash, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), glaucoma, left ankle, degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2024
- Citation
- 24002218
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,113 · Granted: 47% (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 24002218.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's OSA is granted as service connected. The Veteran's infectious disease claim and stomach disability claim are remanded for further examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to errors in obtaining relevant medical records and authorization for private treatment providers. The issues include heart disorder, OSA, sinusitis, lumbar spine disorder, and right knee disorder all related to Agent Orange exposure.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with persistent depressive disorder and insomnia.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and gastroesophageal reflux disease due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.
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