The Board has determined that the February 2014 VA examination report is inadequate for rating purposes and a new opinion is necessary to determine if the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to service, including his reported exposure to chemical agents and inability to maintain proper weight in accordance with Army regulations. The examiner should also provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was caused by or aggravated by his service-connected orthopedic disabilities.
The deciding factor: The February 2014 VA examination report did not sufficiently address whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to his obesity in service, and an opinion addressing whether his service-connected conditions caused or aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea has not been obtained.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 20, 2015
- Citation
- 1502731
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 1502731.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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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