The Board has remanded several claims, including service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, COPD, sleep apnea, a heart condition, and retinal artery occlusion of the right eye. The remand requires additional medical opinions to address whether these conditions are related to in-service brain injuries or other service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that no VA examiner has addressed whether the Veteran's diagnosed mental disorders may be attributable to one or more in-service brain injuries, and thus an additional medical opinion is needed.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder, COPD, Sleep apnea, Heart condition (tachycardia/rapid heart rate), Retinal artery occlusion of the right eye, Cause of death
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 25, 2022
- Citation
- 22011202
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 22011202.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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 claims for service connection for a low back disability and an increased rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current disabilities to military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between his current respiratory disability and active duty service. The VA examiner concluded that the COPD was more likely due to tobacco use rather than asbestos exposure in service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) due to insufficient evidence of record. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if his conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, attributing it to his exposure to Agent Orange during service. COPD is considered a disease associated with such exposure.
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