The Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea, which he claimed was secondary to his service-connected asthma and allergic rhinitis, has been granted.,The Veteran's service connection claim for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which he claimed was secondary to his service-connected PTSD with unspecified other substance use disorder, is remanded due to the need for a VA examination and medical nexus opinion.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the probative evidence was in approximate balance as to whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was caused by his service-connected allergic rhinitis and/or asthma. The Board resolved reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran, granting service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.,For the GERD claim, a VA examination is needed due to the need for an opinion addressing whether the GERD is aggravated by PTSD or related to toxic exposure risk activities (TERA) during his 1991 deployment to Saudi Arabia.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 4, 2024
- Citation
- A24052348
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 A24052348.
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 Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no competent evidence to support a finding that his current condition began in or as a result of service.
- Denied
The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as there is no current diagnosis of this condition during the appeal period.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active service or any related exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder disability, abdominal hernia, GERD, bilateral ankle disabilities, and bilateral foot disabilities. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during the appellant's period of active duty.
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