The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service personnel records and medical records to determine if the Veteran's current renal disease is related to his military service. The Veteran was exposed to jet fuels in service, which is presumed exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA needs to verify the Veteran's participation in a fuel spill clean-up while stationed at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa and obtain medical records for further evaluation of his renal disease.
- Claimed conditions
- renal disease, renal cell cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 8, 2009
- Citation
- 0917365
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 0917365.
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 renal cell cancer, which caused his death in December 2008, likely began during service and is therefore service-connected for the cause of his death.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his renal cell cancer is at least as likely as not caused by his exposure to herbicide agents during active service in Vietnam.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death, renal cell carcinoma, is not service-connected as there is no evidence linking the cancer to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there were duty to assist errors and remands the case for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and an adequate VA medical opinion.
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