The Veteran's renal failure is being remanded for a new VA opinion to consider the study linking contaminated water exposure at Camp Lejeune to kidney disease.
The deciding factor: A new VA opinion is needed due to the submission of a federal government study linking contaminated water exposure at Camp Lejeune to increased risk for kidney disease, including PCE exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Renal Failure, Transplant
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19117035
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,030 · Granted: 17% (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 19117035.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, specifically his medication for treatment of PTSD, is found to have contributed materially to his death. The Board concludes the evidence is in approximate balance with respect to whether the PTSD medication caused his death.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for renal failure, finding that there was no evidence to support a direct link between his current condition and his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied requests for earlier effective dates and ratings for PTSD, renal failure, and SMC based on housebound criteria. The issues of initial higher rating for liver transplant residuals and SMC based on aid and attendance are remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected conditions and his death, as well as the potential impact of in-service herbicide exposure.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.