Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Remanded (sent back)PACT Act

The Veteran's claim for sleep apnea is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,Service connection for fibromyalgia is granted due to its presumptive relationship with service in the Persian Gulf War.,Bilateral eye condition, left shoulder condition, and right shoulder condition are remanded for further examination and opinion.,Lower back disability claim is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,Respiratory condition (claimed as asbestos exposure) and skin condition claims are remanded for further examination and opinion.,Service connection for maxillary sinusitis remains unchanged with a need for an updated VA examination.

The deciding factor: The Veteran has not been diagnosed with sleep apnea, and his current symptoms are related to service-connected PTSD. The claim is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,Fibromyalgia was diagnosed presumptively due to service in the Persian Gulf War. The claim for fibromyalgia is granted based on its presumptive relationship with service.,The Veteran's bilateral eye condition, left shoulder condition, and right shoulder condition are remanded as there is insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.,There is no current diagnosis of lower back disability. The claim is denied.,Respiratory condition (claimed as asbestos exposure) and skin condition claims are remanded due to the need for further examination and opinion on their etiology.,Service connection for maxillary sinusitis remains unchanged with a need for an updated VA examination.

Claimed conditions
sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, bilateral eye condition, left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, lower back disability, respiratory condition (claimed as asbestos exposure), skin condition
How they argued it
Presumptive (no nexus needed)
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
January 29, 2019
Citation
19106989

Veterans Law Judge

T. MAINELLI

Decisions by this judge: 1,836 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)

Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.

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 19106989.

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.

Free starter guide for your own claim

Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.

We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.

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.