The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and aortic valve stenosis due to inadequate opinions from the October 2018 VA examiner. The Veteran contends that his sleep apnea is related to service, specifically PTSD, and his cardiac disability is related to presumed exposure to herbicides in service.
The deciding factor: The Board found the VA examiners' opinions insufficient as they did not address causation or aggravation of the conditions by service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive sleep apnea, Aortic valve stenosis
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 23, 2019
- Citation
- 19105428
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, chronic rhinitis, and obstructive sleep apnea. The headache claim was remanded for further examination.
- Partly granted
The appeal was denied for service connection of a cervical spine disorder, and several claims were remanded for further development.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the R(1) rate due to his need for regular aid and attendance.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine disability, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left foot crush injury, and sciatic radiculopathy of both lower extremities, also secondary to the newly service-connected lumbar spine disability. The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for depressive disorder with unspecified anxiety disorder and a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis.
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