The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for OSA, right shoulder condition, and left shoulder condition due to potential errors in duty-to-assist obligations. The Veteran contends his conditions are related to service exposure or a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there were pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors regarding the etiology of the Veteran's OSA and shoulder conditions, specifically failing to obtain medical opinions addressing direct service connection as well as secondary service connection due to his service-connected unspecified neurocognitive disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Right Shoulder Condition, Left Shoulder Condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2026
- Citation
- A26007947
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 A26007947.
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 Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected left knee and left ankle conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected other specified insomnia disorder.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and heart disability, including coronary artery disease, as these conditions are found to be proximately due to or the result of the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Neck Disability, and Bilateral Upper Extremity Radiculopathy. The decision is based on the Veteran's active service and medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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