The Board granted service connection for multiple osteoarthritis conditions, headaches, an acquired psychiatric disorder, diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, and gout based on the evidence showing a relationship to the Veteran's active duty service.
The deciding factor: The evidence was approximately evenly balanced as to whether each of these disabilities were related to the Veteran's active duty service. With reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran, the criteria for service connection are met.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine osteoarthritis, cervical spine osteoarthritis, right shoulder osteoarthritis, left shoulder osteoarthritis, right elbow osteoarthritis, left elbow osteoarthritis, right wrist osteoarthritis, left wrist osteoarthritis, right hand osteoarthritis, left hand osteoarthritis, right hip disability manifested by pain, left hip disability manifested by pain, right knee osteoarthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, right ankle osteoarthritis, left ankle osteoarthritis, right foot osteoarthritis, left foot osteoarthritis, headaches, acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as adjustment disorder, panic disorder, depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder, diabetes mellitus, secondary to now service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder, on a causation basis, sleep apnea, secondary to now service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder, on a causation basis, gout, secondary to now service-connected diabetes mellitus, on a causation basis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2025
- Citation
- A25026979
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- 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.
- 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 headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
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