The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for gall bladder removal and pancreas condition due to radiation exposure. The RO must obtain all relevant medical records, including those from his May 2013 surgery, and schedule a VA examination to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's claims require further development as they have not been addressed by the RO and need additional evidence and an opinion regarding the etiology of the claimed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- gall bladder removal, pancreas condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Ionizing radiation
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19179974
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,548 · Granted: 31% (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 19179974.
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 Board has remanded the case due to a lack of consideration of the Veteran's contention that his gall bladder removal and chronic diarrhea are related to anthrax vaccinations administered during service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for fatty liver, atrial fibrillation, heart disorder (ischemic heart disease), pancreatitis, and gall bladder removal as they were not shown to be related to the Veteran's active military service or in-service toxic exposure risk activities.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for gall bladder removal is dismissed. The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for residuals of liver injury.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The Board has determined that further development is needed to verify potential exposure to environmental toxins at Fort McClellan, including PCBs, TCE, asbestos, radioactive compounds, chemical warfare agents, or other toxic substances.
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.