The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea has been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The appeal is granted in this regard.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for a lung disorder and heart disorder are remanded as VA examinations are needed to determine their etiology.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disorder remains pending, with no specific issues identified.,The Veteran's claims for reopening of his prostate disorder and diabetes mellitus service connection claims remain pending, with no specific issues identified.,No rating assigned as the appeals are still in process.
The deciding factor: New evidence has been submitted that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim of sleep apnea due to military service. The Veteran's lay statements and medical records indicate a link between his current sleep apnea and his military service.,The Veteran reported exposure to asbestos during his service in Germany, but VA needs to verify this information as there is no direct evidence from the Department of Defense or JSRRC. Without verification, it cannot be determined if the lung disorder is related to service.,No specific issues were identified for heart disorder claims. The Veteran's service treatment records are silent on any diagnosis of a heart disorder.,The Veteran's prostate and diabetes mellitus claims remain pending as no new evidence has been submitted or verified by VA.,No rating assigned as the appeals are still in process.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, lung disorder, heart disorder, prostate disorder, diabetes mellitus
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19189396
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 19189396.
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.
- 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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including sinusitis, elbows condition, cervical condition, erectile dysfunction, kidney condition, sleep apnea, wrists condition, asthma, shoulders condition, ankles condition, eye condition (bilateral dry macular degeneration), peripheral vascular disease (heart condition), and rhinitis.
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