The Board has remanded the cases for additional examinations and opinions to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea condition, as well as to assess the current severity of his left shoulder rotator cuff syndrome with degenerative arthritis. The Veteran is seeking service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and an increased evaluation for his shoulder disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was insufficient evidence in the record regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea condition, as well as a lack of recent VA examination to assess the current severity of his shoulder disability. Therefore, additional examinations are necessary to provide a more definitive opinion on these issues.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, left shoulder rotator cuff syndrome with degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 7, 2021
- Citation
- 21073130
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 21073130.
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 obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no competent evidence to support a finding that his current condition began in or as a result of service.
- Denied
The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as there is no current diagnosis of this condition during the appeal period.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active service or any related exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a direct relationship to service or toxic exposure. The Veteran's claims were based on his participation in TERA activities during service.
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