The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to fulfill its duty to assist in obtaining an additional medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune caused or contributed to his death.
The deciding factor: The Court found that the previous VA medical opinion did not address whether the Veteran’s service and exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune either caused or contributed substantially or materially to the development of his fatal lung cancer and ultimate death.
- Claimed conditions
- Lung Cancer, Death
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 18, 2018
- Citation
- 18143307
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 18143307.
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.
- Denied
The Board determined that the reduction in rating from 100 percent to 30 percent for service-connected lung cancer was proper, and restoration of the 100 percent rating is not warranted. The criteria for entitlement to special monthly compensation based on housebound status have also not been met.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bladder cancer, and lung cancer as secondary to the Veteran's in-service asbestos exposure.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of August 26, 2010 for the award of a 30 percent evaluation for COPD, asbestosis, and lung cancer.
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for increased disability evaluations and effective dates, as well as dismissed the claims related to lung cancer and SMC on housebound status.
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