The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions regarding secondary service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran's representative submitted a private medical opinion, but it is considered duplicative and not credible enough to support the claim. The VA examiner did not provide an adequate opinion on whether his service-connected conditions aggravated his sleep apnea.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the opinions provided by the VA examiners were inadequate for determining secondary service connection due to insufficient causation or aggravation opinions, and the private medical opinion was considered duplicative and not credible enough to support the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 2, 2026
- Citation
- A26000082
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 A26000082.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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