The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain, right ankle sprain, and left foot strain, as well as remanded the claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine to 30 degrees or less, nor ankylosis. The VA examinations showed moderate symptoms and functional loss due to stiffness and pain after prolonged use.
- Claimed conditions
- left foot strain, lumbosacral strain, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), right ankle sprain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 12, 2025
- Citation
- 25003493
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 837 · Granted: 24% (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 25003493.
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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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for lumbosacral strain, asthma, melasma and hydradenitis, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression, anxiety, and stress), left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, left knee disorder, a left foot disorder, and IBS have been granted. The remaining issues are remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right ankle disability, finding that it had its onset during service and is related to service. The decision was made after considering both lay and medical evidence.
- 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.
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