The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including sleep disorder, eye disorder, arthritis of the cervical spine, right knee, hands, elbows, and right shoulder, as well as urinary problems, are being remanded due to insufficient examination opinions addressing prior findings.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners did not provide sufficient explanations regarding previous findings from a July 2010 examiner, which violates Board instructions in Stegall v. West (1998).
- Claimed conditions
- Sleep Disorder, Eye Disorder, Arthritis of the Cervical Spine, Arthritis of the Right Knee, Arthritis of the Hands, Arthritis of the Elbows, Arthritis of the Right Shoulder, Wrist Disability, Urinary Problems
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20062826
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 20062826.
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 Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for COPD and Sleep Disorder due to insufficient development, including a lack of VA examinations or medical opinions assessing these conditions. The RO must provide such assessments.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, and will need additional medical opinions regarding the onset of the Veteran's sleep disability during service.
- Partly granted
The Board restored the 10 percent rating for GERD, denied increased ratings for other conditions, and remanded service connection claims.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a sleep disorder, to include obstructive sleep apnea, due to insufficient evidence and the need for further development.
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