The Veteran's kidney disability is denied as not shown to be related to service or exposure at Camp Lejeune.,Service connection for the other specified trauma stressor related disorder (claimed as depression) is granted.,Service connection for rheumatoid arthritis and hypothyroidism, claimed as due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, is remanded for further development.,The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability remains denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish a nexus between the current kidney disability and active service or exposure at Camp Lejeune.,Service connection granted based on established in-service stressors leading to diagnosed other specified trauma and stressor related disorder (claimed as depression).,Direct service connection is required for rheumatoid arthritis and hypothyroidism, given they are not listed under the presumptive diseases associated with exposure at Camp Lejeune.,Service connection remains denied due to lack of a current disability or established in-service event.
- Claimed conditions
- kidney disability, rheumatoid arthritis, hypothyroidism
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19169634
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 19169634.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis disability rating is being remanded for additional development due to significant weight loss and anemia.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's initial compensable evaluation for hypothyroidism is denied, and the Board finds that service connection for lumbar degenerative disc disease and bilateral foot condition should be remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hypothyroidism and therefore denied their claim for service connection.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus was dismissed. The Board granted service connection for hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis with complications, including depression, anxiety, insomnia, vitamin deficiencies, memory/cognitive impairment, unexplained arthralgias, fatigue, hair loss, and bradycardia.
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.