The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, which is secondary to his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and prostate cancer residuals, needs further examination as the current VA examiner's opinion was internally inconsistent.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not adequately address whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to any of his other service-connected conditions or if it is due to in-service exposure to herbicides.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, posttraumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), prostate cancer residuals, bilateral tinnitus, scar associated with prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II (presumptive, as due to in-service herbicide exposure), left ear hearing loss, erectile dysfunction associated with prostate cancer residuals, left hand burn residuals
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 18, 2017
- Citation
- 1701296
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 1701296.
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 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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for onychomycosis was denied as the condition did not require treatment and covered less than 5% of his body. The Board also remanded issues regarding service connection for left ear hearing loss and entitlement to a compensable disability rating for right ear hearing loss.
- 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.
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