The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received for the claims of service connection for a psychiatric disability, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), back disability, and chronic bronchitis. These claims are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions addressing the nature and etiology of these disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that new evidence has been submitted which raises theories of service connection for each condition not previously considered in the prior decisions.
- Claimed conditions
- back disability (claimed as lumbosacral strain), psychiatric disability, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), chronic bronchitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 12, 2026
- Citation
- A26002629
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 A26002629.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's OSA is granted as service connected. The Veteran's infectious disease claim and stomach disability claim are remanded for further examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to errors in obtaining relevant medical records and authorization for private treatment providers. The issues include heart disorder, OSA, sinusitis, lumbar spine disorder, and right knee disorder all related to Agent Orange exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of adequate examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed chronic bronchitis. The Veteran is seeking service connection for this condition, which was denied in an initial decision. The VA examiner did not address the medical record indicating a current diagnosis of chronic bronchitis.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with persistent depressive disorder and insomnia.
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