The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical evidence in the file on which to make a claim. The appellant's current disabilities of right and left foot gouty arthritis, cervical spine stenosis, and obstructive sleep apnea are associated with or aggravated by his service-connected left shoulder disability.
The deciding factor: The VA has a duty to assist veterans and must provide a medical examination or obtain a medical opinion when necessary to make a decision on a claim. In this case, the evidence was insufficient in the file for making a determination of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- right foot gouty arthritis, left foot gouty arthritis, cervical spine stenosis and degenerative changes, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2026
- Citation
- A26004490
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 A26004490.
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.
- 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.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and gastroesophageal reflux disease due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.
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