The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for alopecia of the lower extremities, obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to depression and/or sinusitis and chronic rhinitis with chronic headaches, temporomandibular joint dislocation with grinding of teeth and bone loss (TMJ disability) as secondary to depression, and erectile dysfunction (ED) as secondary to depression for further development.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for these conditions due to lack of in-service diagnosis or symptoms, and because the current diagnoses are not related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- alopecia of the lower extremities, obstructive sleep apnea (sleep apnea), temporomandibular joint dislocation with grinding of teeth and bone loss (TMJ disability), erectile dysfunction (ED)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20064853
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.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including tension headaches, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and a bilateral hearing loss disability. The Board also denied an initial compensable rating for the Veteran's headache disability.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a deviated septum and right wrist pain, while denying service connection for sleep apnea. The decision also addressed various rating issues and effective dates.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a back condition, numbness left upper extremity, allergic rhinitis, bilateral foot condition, BHL, ED, insomnia, and sinusitis. The only granted issue was service connection for hypertension.
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