The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea and a back disability, both on a direct basis. The Veteran was also granted an initial 10 percent rating for migraines from January 31, 2023.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's sleep apnea and back disability had onset in service, and the Board resolved reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran. The criteria for an initial rating of 10 percent for migraines have been met from January 21, 2023.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, back disability (lumbosacral strain), migraines, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), alcohol use disorder (AUD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- April 14, 2025
- Citation
- A25034192
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 17, 2022, for the grant of service connection for PTSD.
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