The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disorder and obstructive sleep apnea due to exposure in Southwest Asia. The claims are being returned for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions on whether the conditions are related to service or other factors.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there were insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship of the Veteran's current diagnoses to his military service and cannot make a fully-informed decision without them.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee disorder, obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20007239
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 service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to a duty to assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including GERD, chronic kidney disease, COPD, a heart condition, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnea, as additional development is necessary to address the Veteran's exposure to toxic chemical agents during his service.
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