The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, organic brain syndrome, sleep apnea, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, bilateral ankle disability, and bilateral foot disability. The issues are being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for additional development.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the January 2015 VA opinions were inadequate as they did not provide express opinions regarding whether the Veteran's disabilities are aggravated by his service-connected low back disability, and thus requested an addendum opinion from a suitable substitute if available.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, organic brain syndrome, sleep apnea, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, bilateral ankle disability, bilateral foot disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20039432
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 20039432.
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 Veteran's right shoulder disability and migraines/chronic headaches are remanded for additional development due to insufficient opinions on the etiology of her conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease manifesting within one year after service and concluding that the current disability is not related to his in-service deviated septum.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran will be provided with a VA examination to determine if his current sleep disorder is related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the issue of service connection for sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions and need for further development.
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