The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to deficiencies in the medical opinions provided. The Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea, as secondary to his service-connected disabilities, and his request for an increased rating for left knee residuals prior to March 1, 2017, are both being reviewed.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous medical opinions were deficient in addressing whether the Veteran's service-connected conditions caused or aggravated his obesity, which led to his sleep apnea. Additionally, there was a need for more specific information regarding the severity and frequency of flare-ups of the left knee disability prior to March 1, 2017.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, left knee residuals
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2021
- Citation
- 21021133
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 21021133.
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.
- 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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claims for sleep apnea and an increased disability rating for diabetes mellitus, type II.
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