The Board has found that the Veteran is not currently entitled to presumptive service connection for hepatic steatosis under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309 (f) due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, but a remand is required for further examination and medical opinion regarding his claimed hepatic stenosis.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's medical records establish diagnoses or persistent symptoms of hepatic stenosis and there was an indication that it may be related to service, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. A remand is required for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of this disability.
- Claimed conditions
- hepatic steatosis, hepatic stenosis
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19113966
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,316 · Granted: 43% (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 19113966.
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.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating of 10 percent for his left index finger scar is granted. The appeal to grant service connection for hepatic steatosis is dismissed as the Veteran did not file a written statement of disagreement within the required timeframe.
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