The Board granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease, a right shoulder disability (major condition), and obstructive sleep apnea. The claims for left heel spur, left foot disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy were denied. A claim for a right foot disability was remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current GERD, right shoulder disability, and OSA are related to or began during his active-duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Right shoulder disability, Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), Left heel spur, Left foot disability (static foot deformity and/or painful motion), Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, to include as secondary to service-connected right heel spur and/or lumbar spine disability, Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, to include as secondary to left heel spur and/or service-connected lumbar spine disability, Right foot disability (static foot deformity and/or painful motion), to include as secondary to service-connected right heel spur
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 6, 2025
- Citation
- A25041088
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for right and left shoulder disabilities, as the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matters for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and conducting VA examinations.
- Denied
The appeal for higher ratings and effective dates for various conditions was denied, with the exception of left and right lower extremity radiculopathy which were granted an earlier effective date.
- Partly granted
The Board denied the claims for an initial compensable rating for left ear sensorineural hearing loss, service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability, and a left eye disorder. However, it granted service connection for a back disability and radiculopathy of both lower extremities as secondary to the back disability.
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