The Board granted service connection for a left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, and right knee disorder based on their direct relation to the Veteran's active service. The Board also granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD with bipolar I disorder.
The deciding factor: The August 2020 private medical opinion by Dr. D.M., M.D., J.D., and the July 2021 and May 2021 private medical opinions by Dr. V.F., M.D., and Dr. L.G., M.D., respectively, provided adequate support for the service connection claims.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, right knee disorder, obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 2, 2025
- Citation
- A25040426
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to a duty to assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including GERD, chronic kidney disease, COPD, a heart condition, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnea, as additional development is necessary to address the Veteran's exposure to toxic chemical agents during his service.
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