The Veteran's claims of service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, compensable ratings for Right Ring Finger Surgical Scar and Right Finger Disability, and a rating greater than 10 percent for Back Disability are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.
The deciding factor: Additional medical evidence is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's current sleep apnea and the relationship between his service-connected disabilities and his diagnosed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Lumbar Strain with Degenerative Arthritis, Right Ring Finger Surgical Scar, Right Finger Distal Phalanx Avulsion Fracture with ORIF and Degenerative Joint Disease, Hypertension
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 31, 2022
- Citation
- 22049570
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 22049570.
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 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.
- 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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected left knee and left ankle conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected other specified insomnia disorder.
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