The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hepatitis, depression, and lung disorder due to potential service connection issues related to his in-service use of heroin and exposure to mustard gas/lewisite.
The deciding factor: The Court found that the Veteran's hepatitis may be secondary to his psychiatric disorder or lung disorder, and that his lung disorder may be aggravated by his hepatitis C. The Board also noted that there is potential service connection for his depression due to in-service use of heroin.
- Claimed conditions
- Hepatitis, Acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), Lung disorder (granuloma lung disease)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 15, 2011
- Citation
- 1130190
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 1130190.
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 Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to inadequate verification of in-service exposure and the need for additional VA examinations.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his alcohol-related causes of death were etiologically linked to a service-connected disability.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for avascular necrosis of the bilateral shoulders and hips, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and neurological impairments of various extremities as they were not causally related to the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and denied an initial compensable rating for right foot hammer toes, while remanding the claim for service connection for hepatitis.
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