The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and a skin condition due to duty-to-assist errors. The Veteran's OSA is related to toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) during his service in the Gulf War, but no VA opinion addressing this relationship was obtained. Similarly, the skin condition may be related to TERA or an undiagnosed illness, but a VA opinion on this issue has not been provided.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there were duty-to-assist errors regarding the Veteran's service connection claims for obstructive sleep apnea and a skin condition. Specifically, no VA opinions addressing potential toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) or undiagnosed illnesses have been obtained.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Skin Condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 2, 2024
- Citation
- A24035598
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 A24035598.
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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- 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.
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