The Board remands the claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea to obtain an addendum opinion addressing the etiology of the Veteran's condition, including considering the theory that obesity may have been caused by his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The August 2023 VA etiology opinion is inadequate because it relied solely on the absence of in-service treatment records and did not consider lay statements or other evidence regarding the Veteran's football injury while on active duty. The Board also notes that obesity may be an intermediate step in the development of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 16, 2025
- Citation
- A25108535
Want to see how appeals like this one tend to go? Appeals like mine
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