The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment since October 7, 2014.,The Veteran is currently entitled to a TDIU rating on a schedular basis effective September 8, 2015. However, his case was remanded for additional development regarding service connection for sleep apnea.
The deciding factor: The April 2021 VA opinion did not provide an opinion as to the proximate cause of the Veteran's sleep apnea and whether it was aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Migraines, Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the cervical spine, Hypertension, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Tinnitus, Scar on the neck, Bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 29, 2021
- Citation
- 21071023
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 21071023.
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 service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
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