The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for allergic rhinitis is denied.,The claim for new and material evidence to reopen the claim for sleep apnea has been met, and the claim is reopened. Service connection for sleep apnea is granted.,Service connection for sleep apnea is granted as it is related to the Veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis.,Rating in excess of 10 percent for allergic rhinitis is remanded due to inadequate treatment records.,Rating in excess of 10 percent for vertigo is remanded due to inadequate treatment records.,Rating in excess of 10 percent for GERD is remanded due to inadequate treatment records.,Entitlement to service connection for sinusitis is remanded due to inadequate treatment records.,Total disability rating for compensation based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) is remanded due to inadequate treatment records.
The deciding factor: The effective date for the grant of service connection for allergic rhinitis was not earlier than July 31, 2015 as no claim was filed prior to this date.,New and material evidence has been submitted in support of the Veteran's sleep apnea claim, including medical opinions linking his condition to his service-connected allergic rhinitis.,The Board finds that the Veteran’s sleep apnea is related to his service-connected allergic rhinitis. The medical opinion supports this finding.,Treatment records are inadequate for evaluating the severity of the Veteran's allergic rhinitis and a remand is necessary to obtain updated treatment records.,Treatment records are inadequate for evaluating the severity of the Veteran’s vertigo and a remand is necessary to obtain updated treatment records.,Treatment records are inadequate for evaluating the severity of the Veteran's GERD and a remand is necessary to obtain updated treatment records.,Treatment records are inadequate for evaluating the severity of the Veteran's sinusitis and a remand is necessary to obtain updated treatment records.,Treatment records are inadequate for evaluating the severity of the Veteran’s TDIU claim and a remand is necessary to obtain updated treatment records.
- Claimed conditions
- Allergic rhinitis, Sleep apnea, Vertigo, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Sinusitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20003361
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,316 · Granted: 43% (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 20003361.
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.
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The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Dupuytren's contracture of the left hand, right hand, and GERD is remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions and failure to consider toxic exposure risk activities during service.
- Denied
The Veteran's GERD is currently rated at 10 percent disabling, but the Board found that his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), finding that both conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lower back condition and sinusitis, respectively.
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