The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for obstructive sleep apnea and an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for a back condition, granted an initial rating of 20 percent for right shoulder bursitis prior to January 15, 2020, and a 30 percent rating effective from that date. The Board also denied an initial compensable rating for dermatophytosis and granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability effective February 28, 2020.
The deciding factor: The probative evidence of record did not demonstrate the severity required to warrant higher ratings for OSA or back condition. The Veteran's right shoulder condition met the criteria for staged ratings, and a TDIU was granted based on his service-connected disabilities precluding him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), spine disability, to include as a manifestation of an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (back condition), right shoulder bursitis (right shoulder condition), dermatophytosis, claimed as hand and feet fungus (skin condition)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 10, 2025
- Citation
- A25097491
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,088 · Granted: 33% (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 A25097491.
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 Veteran's OSA is granted as service connected. The Veteran's infectious disease claim and stomach disability claim are remanded for further examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to errors in obtaining relevant medical records and authorization for private treatment providers. The issues include heart disorder, OSA, sinusitis, lumbar spine disorder, and right knee disorder all related to Agent Orange exposure.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with persistent depressive disorder and insomnia.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and gastroesophageal reflux disease due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.
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