The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hepatic steatosis, specifically related to exposure at Camp Lejeune.
The deciding factor: An addendum medical opinion is needed as the current VA examiner’s opinion was based on a belief that disease onset was in 2010, which contradicts the Veteran's testimony about his diagnosis in the mid-1970s.
- Claimed conditions
- hepatic steatosis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19143364
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 denied service connection for cervical strain and a compensable rating for scars post-removal of squamous cell carcinomas, while remanding several other claims including diabetes mellitus, type II, diabetic neuropathies, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, left knee disability, traumatic brain injury with post-concussion syndrome migraines, and left hip disability.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatic steatosis, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and no sufficient nexus to exposure at Camp Lejeune.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of December 8, 2017, for the grant of service connection for rhinitis but denied initial compensable ratings and higher ratings for other conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied payment or reimbursement for non-VA medical care for cancer and hepatic steatosis as a Camp Lejeune family member due to the clinical finding that these conditions did not result from exposure at Camp Lejeune.
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