The Board has determined that additional examinations and opinions are needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection, as well as his claim for an initial compensable rating for allergic rhinitis. The issues of entitlement to service connection have been remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the conditions in question.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that there is insufficient competent medical evidence on file to make a decision on the claims, particularly concerning the etiology of the Veteran's OSA and his back condition, radiculopathy, and right thigh condition. The Veteran has not been provided with an adequate examination or opinion regarding these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- allergic rhinitis, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), lumbar spine disability (back condition), bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, right thigh condition, residuals of tuberculosis, skin condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19194759
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,454 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19194759.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for asthma and a 10 percent rating based on multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities were dismissed. The claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for eczema was denied, while the claim of entitlement to allergic rhinitis was not addressed as it pertained to different issues.
- Granted
The Veteran's OSA is granted as service connected. The Veteran's infectious disease claim and stomach disability claim are remanded for further examination.
- Granted
The Board has granted an effective date of June 8, 2022 for the award of service connection for a skin disability (dermatitis). This decision is based on the receipt of an intent to file dated June 8, 2022.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to errors in obtaining relevant medical records and authorization for private treatment providers. The issues include heart disorder, OSA, sinusitis, lumbar spine disorder, and right knee disorder all related to Agent Orange exposure.
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