The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including left elbow strain, right elbow strain, left knee strain, right knee strain, cervical strain, lumbosacral strain, left hip strain, right hip strain, left shoulder strain, right shoulder strain, left upper extremity nerve disability secondary to cervical strain, obstructive sleep apnea, and a cardiac disability.
The deciding factor: The April 2024 VA examination opinions are inadequate as they consist of mere conclusory statements without providing a thorough medical analysis. The Board finds that the AOJ's reliance on these opinions amounted to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors that need to be corrected on remand.
- Claimed conditions
- left elbow strain, right elbow strain, left knee strain, right knee strain, cervical strain, lumbosacral strain, left hip strain, right hip strain, left shoulder strain, right shoulder strain, left upper extremity nerve disability secondary to cervical strain, obstructive sleep apnea, cardiac disability, claimed as enlarged heart, shortness of breath, and racing heartbeat
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 11, 2025
- Citation
- A25033918
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,017 · Granted: 36% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A25033918.
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: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no competent evidence to support a finding that his current condition began in or as a result of service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as there is no current diagnosis of this condition during the appeal period.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active service or any related exposure.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a direct relationship to service or toxic exposure. The Veteran's claims were based on his participation in TERA activities during service.
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