The Board remanded the claim for a Toxic Exposure Risk Activity (TERA) medical opinion to determine if OSA is related to toxic exposures and for a new VA medical opinion addressing correct legal standards regarding obesity.
The deciding factor: The Board found that a TERA opinion is necessary because the record shows evidence of a current disability but does not support presumptive service connection without such an opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), lower extremity radiculopathy, flatfoot, lumbar disorders
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 30, 2025
- Citation
- A25008426
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 734 · Granted: 31% (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 A25008426.
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
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
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