The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for a liver disability, including cirrhosis of the liver and primary biliary cirrhosis. The Veteran is a Vietnam Era Veteran with verified service in the Republic of Vietnam, but there is no evidence of herbicide exposure. A VA examination is needed to determine if his liver disability is related to military service or any service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient evidence to establish a connection between the Veteran's liver disability and military service due to lack of herbicide exposure, and remanded for further development including a VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- cirrhosis of the liver, primary biliary cirrhosis
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19168307
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 19168307.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for cirrhosis of the liver has been dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C and its secondary effects on other conditions, including cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes mellitus type II, esophageal varices, hepatic encephalopathy, and splenomegaly.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death, finding that none of the conditions listed on his death certificate were related to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for leukemia, thrombocytopenia, and bone marrow transplant with acquired agranulocytosis. The Veteran's Fanconi anemia is not considered a service-connected condition due to its congenital nature. Service connection was also denied for hepatocarcinoma and cirrhosis of the liver.
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