The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical sprain and thoracolumbar strain, as well as dismissed her claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a higher rating or establish service connection due to insufficient range of motion and lack of ankylosis in the cervical spine, and no significant functional impairment or other relevant factors were present for the thoracolumbar strain. The OSA claim was dismissed as it had already been considered and denied by a previous Board decision.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical sprain, thoracolumbar strain, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 4, 2025
- Citation
- A25049413
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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 appeal for a rating greater than 10 percent for thoracolumbar strain, as the evidence did not support a higher rating.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) based on the Veteran's exposure to in-service chemical agents.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to fibromyalgia due to a need for additional medical evidence.
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