The Veteran's service connection claim for sleep apnea is denied. For his bilateral blepharitis and dry eye syndrome, the Board found that a higher evaluation prior to March 5, 2018 was not warranted but granted a 20% evaluation from that date onwards.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service treatment records did not show any complaints or treatment for sleep apnea during his military service. The post-service VA treatment records indicated the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea, which began in 2015, approximately 14 years after separation from service. There was no indication that the disability manifested within one year of discharge.
- Claimed conditions
- Sleep Apnea, Blepharitis, Dry Eye Syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 27, 2024
- Citation
- 24033555
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,242 · Granted: 27% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 24033555.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted an earlier effective date of December 12, 2017 for the award of service connection for dry eye syndrome. The issue of entitlement to an initial compensable rating for dry eye syndrome is remanded.
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