The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates, service connection, and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability, except for granting a total disability rating from October 16, 2024.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support an increase in the ratings or earlier effective dates, nor was there sufficient evidence to grant service connection for the claimed conditions. However, the veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation from October 16, 2024.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder strain with subluxation and shoulder impingement syndrome, lumbosacral strain, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, artery stent, respiratory disability, sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 19, 2025
- Citation
- A25025505
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, finding that the Veteran's low back injury occurred during a period of active duty for training (ADT) and continued therefrom.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and no competent evidence linking the condition to service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
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