The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for irregular heartbeat, acid reflux, irregular bowels, and fingertip amputation due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The Veteran's attorney did not waive untimely filing of a Substantive Appeal regarding these claims in 2016. Additional evidence is needed, including VA treatment records and private cardiology records from Dr. APB.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran’s August 31, 2016 appeal was untimely filed due to a missed deadline for filing a Substantive Appeal. The claims are now remanded for further development of evidence related to these conditions and exposure at Camp Lejeune.
- Claimed conditions
- irregular heartbeat, acid reflux, irregular bowels, fingertip amputation
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2019
- Citation
- 19103991
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,592 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19103991.
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.
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The Veteran's deviated nasal septum was granted service connection. The claims for anxiety and sleep disturbance, erectile dysfunction, headaches, acid reflux, hypertension (high blood pressure), irritable bowel syndrome, and jaw condition were denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for acid reflux, TBI, and CFS. The claim for bilateral plantar fasciitis is remanded due to an inadequate VA examination.
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The Veteran's claims for frequent urination, erectile dysfunction, chronic pain multiple joints, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and chronic bradycardia, acid reflux, bronchitis, and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded due to the presence of service-connected conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, and migraine headaches due to exposure to herbicides. The AOJ is instructed to provide the Veteran with notice of his right to a hearing on his supplemental claim.
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