The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no evidence linking his current condition to his military service or a service-connected disability. The case is being remanded for additional examinations and consideration of the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for Hepatitis C and peripheral neuropathy.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s obstructive sleep apnea is less likely than not caused by his service-connected PTSD, as there is no causal association between PTSD and OSA. The Board also noted that the Veteran has not provided any evidence to support a link between his current sleep apnea and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive sleep apnea, Hepatitis C, Peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 23, 2018
- Citation
- 18143959
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 18143959.
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 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 the Veteran's claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected residuals of left foot 5th metatarsal fracture.
- Denied
The Board denied a compensable initial rating for Hepatitis C, finding that the Veteran's condition was asymptomatic and did not meet the criteria for any higher rating.
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