The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and headaches are being remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The AOJ is required to obtain a VA examination and medical opinion to determine if the conditions are related to his military service, including exposure in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding the Veteran's claims for hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and headaches. The AOJ must obtain a VA examination and medical opinion to determine if these conditions are related to his military service, including exposure in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 22, 2026
- Citation
- A26037969
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 A26037969.
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 determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- 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.
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