The Veteran's cirrhosis of the liver is granted as secondary to service-connected PTSD with alcohol abuse disorder.,Service connection for prostate cancer and right hand disorders are denied.,Service connection for hypertension, residuals of frostbite, and headache disorder are remanded due to insufficient evidence.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's cirrhosis is found to be secondary to his service-connected PTSD with alcohol abuse disorder. The medical evidence supports this finding as the Veteran’s substance abuse was a manifestation of his psychiatric condition.,There is no evidence linking prostate cancer or right hand disorders directly to service, and thus service connection cannot be granted for these conditions.,The remanded issues require further examination and opinion regarding whether hypertension, residuals of frostbite, and headache disorder are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD with alcohol abuse disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- cirrhosis of the liver, prostate cancer, right hand disorder, hypertension (HTN), residuals of frostbite, headache disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19168427
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 19168427.
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 appeal for service connection for sleep apnea is dismissed as the benefit sought has been granted, making the case moot.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for prostate cancer, related to in-service exposures at Camp Lejeune.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of service connection for prostate cancer to obtain an addendum opinion addressing the Veteran's toxic exposure risk activities.
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