The Veteran's claim for service connection for rhinitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), sleep apnea, and tension headaches is remanded. The claim for a 10 percent evaluation based on multiple, non-compensable, service-connected disabilities, under 38 C.F.R. § 3.324, for the period from January 31, 2007, to April 17, 2009 is withdrawn.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to June 18, 2013, for the grant of service connection for tension headaches is denied.
The deciding factor: The claims are remanded as there is insufficient evidence to determine whether the current respiratory disorder is related to military service or if it was caused by a pre-existing condition.,The claim for an effective date prior to June 18, 2013, for the grant of service connection for tension headaches is denied because the Veteran did not file a formal or informal claim before this date.
- Claimed conditions
- rhinitis, left hand arthritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), sleep apnea, tension headaches, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20048399
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 20048399.
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 claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
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The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
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