The Veteran's claim for service connection for birth defects of his child due to exposure to herbicide agents is denied as the evidence does not show he was exposed to herbicide agents in Korea.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for OSA and HTN are remanded as there is insufficient competent medical evidence on file to make a determination.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for HTN is also remanded, but the issue of whether it is secondary to his throat cancer is not addressed in this decision.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence showing that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service in Korea.,The Veteran has current diagnoses for OSA and HTN, but there are insufficient competent medical opinions on file regarding whether these conditions are related to his active duty service or any service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran's claim for secondary service connection for HTN is remanded as the evidence does not show a direct relationship between his throat cancer and HTN.
- Claimed conditions
- birth defects, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), hypertension (HTN)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20052956
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 20052956.
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 Veteran's OSA is granted as service connected. The Veteran's infectious disease claim and stomach disability claim are remanded for further examination.
- 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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with persistent depressive disorder and insomnia.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and gastroesophageal reflux disease due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.
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