The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disability, sleep apnea, and major depressive disorder due to incomplete records from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and inconsistent reports within the record regarding these conditions. The VA will need to obtain SSA records and schedule the Veteran for examinations to address inconsistencies in his diagnoses.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there are incomplete records from the SSA, which may contain relevant medical evidence needed to substantiate the Veteran's claims of service connection for a back disability, sleep apnea, and major depressive disorder. The Board also noted inconsistent reports within the record regarding these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- back disability, major depressive disorder, sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 23, 2018
- Citation
- 18105083
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 18105083.
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 Veteran's claim for specially-adapted housing assistance and a special home adaptation grant was denied because he does not meet the criteria for either benefit based on his service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
- 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.
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