The Board has determined that further development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep apnea, increased ratings for his service-connected back disability and associated neurological disabilities, and TDIU. The case will be remanded to obtain additional VA examination opinions and a retrospective opinion.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the current VA examinations did not adequately address the Veteran's lay statements regarding his symptoms during service and subsequent medical history, as well as the periods on appeal for increased ratings of his back disability and associated neurological disabilities. The Board also noted that TDIU cannot be adjudicated until these issues are resolved.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine (back disability), left leg neuropathy involving the sciatic and external popliteal nerves, left leg neuropathy involving the femoral nerve, left leg neuropathy involving the obturator nerve, left leg neuropathy involving the external cutaneous nerve of the thigh, right lower extremity disability (sciatic nerve), service-connected neurogenic bladder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 26, 2024
- Citation
- 24034651
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 24034651.
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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