The Veteran's claim for service connection for fatigue is denied.,The Veteran's earlier effective date claim for PTSD is referred back to the RO for consideration in the first instance.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss rating is remanded due to a possible increase in severity since his last examination.,The Veteran's IBS rating is remanded as there are no updated VA treatment records and an examination is needed to assess current severity.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability rating is remanded as the Veteran reported worsening symptoms and private provider records need to be associated with the claims file.,The Veteran's service connection claim for a neurological condition, secondary to his lumbar spine disability, is remanded due to its inextricability from the lumbar spine rating issue.,The Veteran's hypertension claim is remanded as an examination and etiology opinion are needed regarding whether his hypertension is related to service or exposure to herbicides.,The Veteran's sleep apnea claim is remanded as opinions are needed on both direct service connection and secondary service connection (to PTSD).
The deciding factor: There is no current diagnosis of fatigue as a separate disability, and the evidence does not show that it began during or was aggravated by service.,The earlier effective date claim for PTSD is referred back to the RO due to its inextricability from other issues addressed herein.,A new examination is needed to determine if there has been an increase in severity of bilateral hearing loss since the last examination.,An updated VA treatment record and a neurological examination are needed to assess current severity of IBS.,An examination is needed to assess current severity of lumbar spine disability, including any associated neurological disabilities.,A separate service connection claim for a neurological condition secondary to lumbar spine disability must be addressed due to its inextricability from the lumbar spine rating issue.,An examination and etiology opinion are needed to determine if hypertension is related to service or exposure to herbicides.,Opinions are needed on both direct service connection and secondary service connection (to PTSD) for sleep apnea.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19178059
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 granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and no competent evidence linking the condition to service.
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