The Veteran's claims for service connection for asthma and obstructive sleep apnea are being remanded to obtain additional medical records, particularly VA treatment records from before 2002 and any relevant private medical records. A VA examination is also needed to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims require further development due to incomplete medical record documentation and need for a comprehensive opinion regarding the onset and etiology of his asthma and obstructive sleep apnea.
- Claimed conditions
- Asthma, Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 23, 2018
- Citation
- 1804052
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 1804052.
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 service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorders, lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, bilateral radiculopathy of the upper extremities, and bilateral radiculopathy and neuropathy of the lower extremities.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 70 percent rating prior to March 7, 2022, while other claims were denied.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 40 percent disability rating for bladder cancer in remission with urinary incontinence and denied an increased disability rating in excess of 30 percent for asthma.
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