The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected chronic adjustment disorder, residuals of foot injury with inability to flex toes, right knee injury with laxity, and residuals right hand injury including flexion deformities fourth and fifth digits. The Board found that these service-connected conditions caused or aggravated the Veteran's obesity, which in turn caused his sleep apnea.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran's service-connected chronic adjustment disorder, along with his service-connected foot, knee, and hand injuries, led to his obesity, which was a substantial factor in causing his obstructive sleep apnea. The March 2025 VA examiner did not find central sleep apnea but instead concluded that the Veteran's sleep apnea was secondary to his service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, chronic adjustment disorder, residuals of foot injury with inability to flex toes, right knee injury with laxity, residuals right hand injury including flexion deformities fourth and fifth digits
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 26, 2026
- Citation
- A26027613
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 A26027613.
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 sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease manifesting within one year after service and concluding that the current disability is not related to his in-service deviated septum.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran will be provided with a VA examination to determine if his current sleep disorder is related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the issue of service connection for sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions and need for further development.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claims for sleep apnea and an increased disability rating for diabetes mellitus, type II.
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