The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for GERD, OSA, and a right knee condition due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The RO is instructed to obtain updated VA and private treatment records, confirm periods of active duty service, and schedule examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was not sufficient evidence in the record to establish a nexus between the Veteran's current GERD, OSA, and right knee condition and his military service. The RO is instructed to obtain updated treatment records and schedule examinations to address this issue.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), Right knee condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19186257
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 remands the matters for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and conducting VA examinations.
- Denied
The appeal for higher ratings and effective dates for various conditions was denied, with the exception of left and right lower extremity radiculopathy which were granted an earlier effective date.
- Partly granted
The Board denied the claims for an initial compensable rating for left ear sensorineural hearing loss, service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability, and a left eye disorder. However, it granted service connection for a back disability and radiculopathy of both lower extremities as secondary to the back disability.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, arthritis of the cervical spine, cervical radiculopathy of the left arm, back disability, left elbow condition, left shoulder condition, left wrist condition, left hand condition, hypertension, and an initial rating of 10 percent for coronary arteriosclerosis prior to September 24, 2024.
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