The appeal is being remanded to obtain TERA-specific VA medical opinions for the appellant's claims of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and high blood pressure.
The deciding factor: The appellant served in Southwest Asia, which places him at risk for exposure to toxic exposures. The PACT Act requires VA to provide a VA examination and opinion addressing the possibility of a nexus between the claimed disabilities and such exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Lower left extremity radiculopathy of the femoral nerve, Right lower extremity radiculopathy of the femoral nerve, Lower left extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, Right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, Lumbar spine strain with degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2024
- Citation
- A24065527
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 785 · Granted: 27% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A24065527.
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 a rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, finding that it most nearly approximated moderate incomplete paralysis.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone do not render him so helpless as to require the regular aid and attendance of another person, resulting in a denial of SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance.
- Granted
The Board has granted an initial disability rating of 40 percent for right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, which is considered moderately severe incomplete paralysis.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis and spinal stenosis with L3-L5 disc herniation (lumbar disability), left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve, and right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve. The Board found that these conditions are related to service.
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