The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and bilateral hand carpal tunnel syndrome due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error in not obtaining updated VA treatment records. The RO is also required to obtain new medical opinions addressing all toxic exposure risk activities, including asbestos exposure, and whether the Veteran's symptoms represent an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the RO did not properly consider the Veteran's in-service asbestos exposure when evaluating his claims for service connection. The new medical opinions are needed to address this oversight.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hand carpal tunnel syndrome
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 12, 2026
- Citation
- A26013603
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 A26013603.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no competent evidence to support a finding that his current condition began in or as a result of service.
- Denied
The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as there is no current diagnosis of this condition during the appeal period.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active service or any related exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a direct relationship to service or toxic exposure. The Veteran's claims were based on his participation in TERA activities during service.
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