The Board denied the veteran's claim for a higher rating for his retained shrapnel, status post neck wound and remanded claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction (ED), obstructive sleep apnea, and entitlement to a TDIU.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for the veteran's retained shrapnel, s/p neck wound. Additional development was needed for the other claims due to inadequate medical opinions provided by VA examiners.
- Claimed conditions
- retained shrapnel, status post (s/p) neck wound, erectile dysfunction (ED), obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 7, 2024
- Citation
- 24031518
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to a duty to assist error.
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