The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities, including a lack of VA examinations and opinions. The AOJ is required to obtain verification of garrison exposure and provide the Veteran with VA examinations and opinions considering toxic exposure risk activities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was not enough evidence in the record to determine whether the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his service or toxic exposures, necessitating further development including VA examinations and opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Disability, Left Shoulder Disability, Cervical Spine Disability, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Disability Manifested by Cardiac Symptoms (Heart Palpitations)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2026
- Citation
- A26026261
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 A26026261.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities are remanded. The claim for sleep disorder (claimed as sleep apnea) remains denied.
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