The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for various conditions such as cervical spine disability, fibromyalgia, bilateral knee and hip disabilities, sleep apnea, headaches, and digestive disorders. The reasons for these remands include insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the claimed conditions and the Veteran's military service.,The issues of service connection are being addressed due to a lack of sufficient evidence or reasoning provided by VA examiners in previous examinations.
The deciding factor: VA examiners have not provided clear opinions on whether the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service, including exposure to Southwest Asia.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine disability, Fibromyalgia, Bilateral knee disability (left and right), Thoracolumbar spine disability, Bilateral hip disability (left and right), Bilateral ankle disability (left and right), Acquired psychiatric disability, unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress, Sleep apnea, Headaches, Bilateral elbow disability (left and right), Digestive disability, GERD
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19171294
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 19171294.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) due to insufficient evidence of record. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if his conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability is rated at 20 percent, the maximum rating available under the General Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The evidence does not support a higher rating as his range of motion did not meet the criteria for an increased rating.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for obstructive sleep apnea and headaches, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of persistent daytime hypersomnolence or other manifestations consistent with a compensable disability rating under the criteria established by Diagnostic Codes. The matter is remanded to obtain additional information from the Veteran regarding his headaches and their impact on his daily life.
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