The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his sleep apnea.,The Veteran has been granted separate ratings for his left ankle sprain and instability, both at 10 percent.
The deciding factor: The examiner needs to determine if the Veteran’s service-connected PTSD or left ankle disability caused obesity, which is a substantial factor in causing or aggravating his sleep apnea.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic left ankle sprain, left ankle instability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19144627
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 19144627.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for left ankle instability as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left ankle disability and hypertension, but denied increased ratings for the left ankle disability and other forms of arthritis.
- Partly granted
The appeal for service connection for left shoulder disability was granted in full, and the issues of entitlement to a rating higher than 10 percent for right hamstring tendonitis, left elbow bursitis, chronic left ankle sprain, and low back disability were denied or dismissed.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine condition and denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for allergic rhinitis, while remanding the other issues.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his entire appeal, and the Board dismissed all related issues.
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