The Board dismissed the appeals for proposed rating reductions and denied a higher disability rating for lumbar spine strain with degenerative arthritis, while remanding claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and high blood pressure.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding of entitlement to a higher disability rating or service connection for the claimed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- LLE radiculopathy of the femoral nerve, RLE radiculopathy of the femoral nerve, LLE radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, RLE radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, lumbar spine strain with degenerative arthritis, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), high blood pressure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2024
- Citation
- A24065527
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) based on the Veteran's exposure to in-service chemical agents.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to fibromyalgia due to a need for additional medical evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.
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