The Veteran's service connection claim for a left wrist condition is denied.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is granted, as it is proximately due to his service-connected PTSD, asthma, and orthopedic conditions.,The Veteran's claims for lumbosacral spine strain with degenerative arthritis and right ankle condition are remanded for further development.,Service connection for a right ankle condition is remanded.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the current left wrist sprain is unrelated to service due to lack of continuity of complaints, symptoms, and treatments during the 16 years post-service.,The Veteran's OSA was proximately due to his service-connected PTSD, asthma, and orthopedic conditions.,The VA examiner did not provide an opinion on whether the degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is related to service. The examiner also did not address whether the right ankle condition is aggravated by a service-connected disability.,The Veteran's right ankle condition was remanded for an addendum opinion regarding whether it is aggravated by a service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- left wrist sprain, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), lumbosacral spine strain with degenerative arthritis, right ankle condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 5, 2021
- Citation
- 21061824
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,960 · Granted: 36% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 21061824.
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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