The Veteran's liver and gastrointestinal disorders are remanded for further examination to determine if they are related to his service at Camp Lejeune.
The deciding factor: The VA treatment records do not show a diagnosis of hepatic steatosis, but do show diagnoses of hepatic coma and encephalopathy, suggesting the presence of an underlying liver disability. The Veteran's contentions and the potential for direct causation are considered in this decision.
- Claimed conditions
- hepatic steatosis, hepatic coma, hepatic encephalopathy, bleeding ulcers, GERD with esophagitis
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 19, 2019
- Citation
- A19000639
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 A19000639.
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.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and hepatic steatosis have been denied. The claim for rheumatoid arthritis is being remanded.,Service connection has not been established for the claimed conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C and its secondary effects on other conditions, including cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes mellitus type II, esophageal varices, hepatic encephalopathy, and splenomegaly.
- Denied
The Veteran's hypertension, erectile dysfunction, sleep apnea, and migraines were all denied increased ratings.,Service connection for hepatic steatosis was granted.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatic steatosis, including as due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, finding that there was no evidence linking his condition to his military service or presumed exposure.
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