The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected right ankle disability, subject to legal authority. The claims of entitlement to service connection for obesity, sleep apnea, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding their relationship to his service-connected psychiatric disorder.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is a potential secondary relationship between the Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder and his claimed secondary conditions (obesity, sleep apnea, hypertension, hyperlipidemia).
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"Posttraumatic degenerative arthritis and residuals of fracture of the right distal fibula (right ankle disability)"}
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19105082
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
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.