The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea and whether his service-connected TBI and PTSD could have aggravated it.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner is needed to provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea, considering the legal requirement for a worsening of the condition.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with depressive, anxious, and psychotic features, service-connected traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 16, 2022
- Citation
- 22035257
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 22035257.
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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