The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for left ankle disability, obstructive sleep apnea, and acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD and depression. The claim of service connection for acne with scarring is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the acquired psychiatric disorder claim. The rating for bilateral hearing loss remains pending.
The deciding factor: New evidence has been submitted that relates to unestablished facts necessary to substantiate the claims, including diagnosis and continuity of symptoms. Further examination is needed to address etiology and any aggravation by service-connected tinnitus.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle disability, obstructive sleep apnea, depression, PTSD
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19141132
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,810 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19141132.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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 expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no competent evidence to support a finding that his current condition began in or as a result of service.
- Denied
The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as there is no current diagnosis of this condition during the appeal period.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
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