The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's cause of death and his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The appellant seeks service connection for the cause of her husband's death, which is presumed to be related to exposure to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune.
The deciding factor: The Board found that an adequate medical opinion was not provided regarding the Veteran's smoking history and its relation to his lung cancer, as well as the relationship between his service exposure and his cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- metastatic carcinoma of the lung
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 19, 2018
- Citation
- 1823730
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1823730.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and his DIC claim under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 was denied as he did not meet the criteria for a total disability rating.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to metastatic carcinoma of the lung, finding that there was not an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding a nexus between the Veteran's cancer and service. The Board found the VA examiner's opinion more probative than the appellant's assertion.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and SMC based on aid and attendance/housebound status due to incomplete development, including verifying herbicide exposure during service. The claim for death pension benefits is dismissed as moot.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty about whether the Veteran's cause of death, metastatic carcinoma of the lung, is related to his military service. The VA needs to provide an opinion on this issue.
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