The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to incomplete medical records and inadequate examination opinions. The Veteran's sleep disorders, including sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome, are being evaluated again by a VA examiner. For his psychiatric disabilities, a VA clinician will provide an opinion on whether they were caused or aggravated by service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found the previous examination opinions inadequate due to incomplete medical records and insufficient consideration of symptoms present during active duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- acquired psychiatric disability (claimed as depression), thrombosis of the brain (claimed as Virchow-Robin spaces), gout, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome (now also claimed as REM sleep disorder)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 6, 2023
- Citation
- 23043691
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 23043691.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's gout claim for additional development, including obtaining an adequate VA examination and ensuring all relevant records are obtained. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.
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