The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral knee conditions, cervical spine condition, lumbar spine condition, muscle tension headaches, and acquired psychiatric disorder due to insufficient examination opinions and new evidence submitted.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners did not provide adequate rationale in their previous opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's conditions, particularly his obstructive sleep apnea and bilateral knee conditions. The Board has therefore ordered additional examinations to address these issues.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, muscle tension headaches, acquired psychiatric disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2019
- Citation
- A19002161
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 granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to a duty to assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including GERD, chronic kidney disease, COPD, a heart condition, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnea, as additional development is necessary to address the Veteran's exposure to toxic chemical agents during his service.
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