The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for traumatic brain injury, respiratory disability (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), Parkinsonism, and obstructive sleep apnea due to a lack of competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The VA is directed to obtain relevant records from the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda and any other private records identified by the Veteran.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was insufficient evidence to determine whether the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his military service, specifically the February 1973 motor vehicle accident. Therefore, further medical examination is needed to address this issue.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic brain injury, Respiratory disability (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), Parkinsonism, Obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 11, 2018
- Citation
- 18117722
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 18117722.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Parkinsonism, finding that the Veteran's condition is related to his military service. The decision resolves all doubts in favor of the claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding whether the Veteran's current conditions are aggravated by his service-connected DDD of the lumbosacral spine. The AOJ is required to obtain new medical opinions addressing this issue.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for obstructive sleep apnea and headaches, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of persistent daytime hypersomnolence or other manifestations consistent with a compensable disability rating under the criteria established by Diagnostic Codes. The matter is remanded to obtain additional information from the Veteran regarding his headaches and their impact on his daily life.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Parkinsonism, finding that the Veteran's condition is related to his military service. The decision resolves all doubts in favor of the claim.
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