The Board has denied an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for obstructive sleep apnea and has remanded the issues regarding lumbar spine disability, sciatic nerve radiculopathy, bladder and/or bowel disorder related to the lumbar spine disability, and service connection for PFB. The Veteran is required to provide additional evidence or undergo examinations as directed.
The deciding factor: The pre-decisional evidence of record did not reveal that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was productive of chronic respiratory failure with carbon dioxide retention or cor pulmonale or required tracheostomy, and thus a rating in excess of 30 percent is denied. The issues regarding lumbar spine disability, sciatic nerve radiculopathy, bladder and/or bowel disorder related to the lumbar spine disability, and service connection for PFB are remanded as additional evidence may be needed.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive sleep apnea, Lumbar spine strain with scoliosis (lumbar spine disability), Sciatic nerve radiculopathy, right lower extremity, Sciatic nerve radiculopathy, left lower extremity, Bladder and/or bowel disorder related to the lumbar spine disability, Pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 25, 2026
- Citation
- A26017223
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 A26017223.
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 due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding whether the Veteran's current conditions are aggravated by his service-connected DDD of the lumbosacral spine. The AOJ is required to obtain new medical opinions addressing this issue.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for obstructive sleep apnea and headaches, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of persistent daytime hypersomnolence or other manifestations consistent with a compensable disability rating under the criteria established by Diagnostic Codes. The matter is remanded to obtain additional information from the Veteran regarding his headaches and their impact on his daily life.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected residuals of left foot 5th metatarsal fracture.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection of allergic rhinitis. Service connection is granted for a skin disorder (Pseudofolliculitis barbae) and denied for a chronic cervical spine disorder.
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