The Veteran's claim for service connection for a sleep disorder, including obstructive sleep apnea, has been reopened and is being remanded.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability and right knee disability have also been reopened and are being remanded.
The deciding factor: New evidence submitted by the Veteran relates to in-service symptoms of sleep apnea and establishes a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claim. The Board finds it necessary to obtain an etiology opinion regarding whether the current sleep disorder is related to service.,The Veteran's testimony during the hearing suggests that he experienced wear and tear on his knees from jumping up onto and down from deuce-and-a-half trucks in service, which may have contributed to his current knee disabilities. The Board finds it necessary to obtain an etiology opinion regarding whether these conditions are related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Left Knee Disability, Right Knee Disability, Acquired Psychiatric Disability (Anxiety and Depression)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 26, 2022
- Citation
- 22060069
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 22060069.
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 Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are rated at 10% each, and the Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability, finding that there is no evidence to support an etiological relationship between his current condition and his military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds no evidence of clear and unmistakable error in assigning an effective date of June 19, 2002.
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