The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sleep apnea, an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD, anxiety and depression, higher initial ratings for left and right knee instability, and increased rating for left knee chondromalacia patella and strain due to insufficient evidence or need for further examination.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the claims were not fully addressed due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the acquired psychiatric disorders and sleep apnea, as well as a lack of adequate VA examinations. The Veteran's reported stressors needed verification, and additional medical records were requested.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, anxiety and depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), left knee instability, right knee instability, left knee chondromalacia patella and strain
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 2, 2018
- Citation
- 18140072
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 18140072.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a direct service connection opinion and an adequate secondary service connection aggravation opinion.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
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