The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding the service connection for thyroid disability. The Veteran's claim will be reviewed with an appropriate VA examiner.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on a failure to obtain a medical opinion regarding the continuity of the Veteran's thyroid disability from in-service findings.
- Claimed conditions
- Thyroid disability, Papillary thyroid cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 15, 2019
- Citation
- A19000909
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 A19000909.
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 Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, ischemic heart disease, and hypertension from August 10, 2022, under the PACT Act. The claim for a thyroid disability was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for thyroid disability, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and active service or any other established cause.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the veteran's claims for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions and records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's thyroid disability, which preexisted his third period of service from 2005-2006, is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if it was permanently aggravated during this time.,The Veteran's abdominal scar, post hernia repair, is also being remanded for a VA examination to determine the appropriate rating.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.