The Board is remanding the case for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's service-connected PTSD with depression and alcohol abuse caused or aggravated his sleep apnea, including whether his unwillingness to use his CPAP machine due to claustrophobia has aggravated his sleep apnea.
The deciding factor: The examiner will need to provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD with depression and alcohol abuse caused or aggravated his current sleep apnea, including considering his reports of being unable to use his CPAP machine due to claustrophobia.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, PTSD with depression and alcohol abuse
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 24, 2015
- Citation
- 1531679
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 1531679.
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.
- 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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