The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and bilateral foot disabilities due to duty-to-assist errors. The AOJ is instructed to verify the Veteran's periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA during his Navy Reserve service, associate any relevant military personnel records with the file, schedule a VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and bilateral foot conditions, and consider secondary service connection for both issues.
The deciding factor: The Board found pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors in the AOJ's handling of the claims, including failure to verify the Veteran's periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA during his Navy Reserve service, and a lack of consideration of secondary service connection for both issues.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Bilateral Foot Disabilities (Plantar Fasciitis)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 2, 2024
- Citation
- A24035455
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A24035455.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected other specified insomnia disorder.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and heart disability, including coronary artery disease, as these conditions are found to be proximately due to or the result of the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Neck Disability, and Bilateral Upper Extremity Radiculopathy. The decision is based on the Veteran's active service and medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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