The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted effective June 2, 2017. The DEA benefits claim for the Veteran's child or surviving spouse is also granted as of June 2, 2017. The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings are dismissed.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has been found to be unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities and thus meets the criteria for a TDIU effective June 2, 2017. As he is now receiving a total disability rating, his child or surviving spouse also qualifies for DEA benefits as of that date.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of oral cancer with loss of half of tongue, depressive disorder, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, obstructive sleep apnea, scars of the neck, skin graft from left thigh, skin graft from left upper extremity, skin graft from left wrist, Raynaud's syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 20, 2026
- Citation
- A26015695
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 A26015695.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no competent evidence to support a finding that his current condition began in or as a result of service.
- Denied
The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as there is no current diagnosis of this condition during the appeal period.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active service or any related exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a direct relationship to service or toxic exposure. The Veteran's claims were based on his participation in TERA activities during service.
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