The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment prior to May 23, 2024.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including obstructive sleep apnea with asthma, diabetes mellitus, type II with erectile dysfunction, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, voiding dysfunction associated with chronic kidney disease, and left knee joint osteoarthritis, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea with asthma, diabetes mellitus, type II with erectile dysfunction, right and left upper extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, right and left lower extremity, voiding dysfunction associated with chronic kidney disease, folliculitis associated with obstructive sleep apnea with asthma, left knee joint osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- January 13, 2026
- Citation
- A26003209
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 A26003209.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence, including SSA disability records. The AOJ will consider the recent grants of service connection in conjunction with the TDIU application.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the AOJ's decision denying eligibility for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) is not supported by adequate reasoning and must be remanded to allow for a thorough review, including obtaining medical opinions on whether it is in the best interest of the Veteran to participate in the PCAFC program.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and DDD, right knee joint osteoarthritis, left knee joint osteoarthritis, chest disability manifested by pain, left leg disability manifested by pain, right ankle disability manifested by pain, sleep apnea, and right ear hearing loss. The claim for left ear hearing loss is denied as the Veteran does not meet the regulatory threshold for a current hearing loss disability.
- Granted
The Board has granted earlier effective dates of June 24, 2016 for the award of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, left lower peripheral vein insufficiency (CVI) and varicose veins, right lower peripheral vein insufficiency (CVI) and varicose veins, left knee joint osteoarthritis, and right knee joint osteoarthritis.,The effective dates are based on the Veteran's formal appeal of the July 2019 Statement of the Case and December 2016 rating decision.
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