The Board has denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and remanded the issues of service connection for left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, degenerative arthritis of the neck, and initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for left knee tendonitis and right knee tendonitis. The Veteran's facial scarring is rated as a disfigurement with one characteristic of disfigurement warranting a 10% rating. Service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae with scarring has been granted but no compensable rating assigned.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence does not support findings that the Veteran's sleep apnea began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The facial scars are rated as a disfigurement with one characteristic of disfigurement warranting a 10% rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Facial Scarring (Disfigurement), Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Pseudofolliculitis Barbae with Scarring
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19155216
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 19155216.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected left knee and left ankle conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected other specified insomnia disorder.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and heart disability, including coronary artery disease, as these conditions are found to be proximately due to or the result of the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Neck Disability, and Bilateral Upper Extremity Radiculopathy. The decision is based on the Veteran's active service and medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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