The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased ratings to correct errors by the AOJ, including obtaining medical opinions that adequately address the Veteran's symptoms and medical history.
The deciding factor: Remand is required due to duty to assist errors in obtaining adequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Adjustment Disorder, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Thoracolumbar Spine Disability (Degenerative Arthritis, Degenerative Disc Disease, and Lumbosacral Strain), Left Lower Extremity Sciatic Radiculopathy, Right Lower Extremity Sciatic Radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 26, 2025
- Citation
- A25055393
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 service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorders, lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, bilateral radiculopathy of the upper extremities, and bilateral radiculopathy and neuropathy of the lower extremities.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's symptoms more closely approximated those associated with a 50 percent rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability due to the need for a more comprehensive medical examination and opinion.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.