The Board granted service connection for lower back injury/spinal stenosis and dismissed the claims for right upper extremity neuropathy/carpal tunnel, left upper extremity neuropathy/carpal tunnel, sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), neck injury, left shoulder condition, and right shoulder condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran met the burden of showing aggravation of his preexisting lower back disability during service, but did not find clear and unmistakable evidence to rebut this presumption. For the other claims, the Veteran withdrew them or they were remanded for further development.
- Claimed conditions
- lower back injury/spinal stenosis, right upper extremity neuropathy/carpal tunnel, left upper extremity neuropathy/carpal tunnel, sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), neck injury, left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- March 31, 2025
- Citation
- A25029347
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 869 · Granted: 44% (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 A25029347.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease manifesting within one year after service and concluding that the current disability is not related to his in-service deviated septum.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran will be provided with a VA examination to determine if his current sleep disorder is related to his military service.
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