The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new opinion is needed regarding whether the Veteran's hepatic steatosis is related to contaminated water exposure at Camp Lejeune during service.
The deciding factor: The October 2014 examiner did not provide a clear opinion on the relationship between the Veteran’s hepatic steatosis and his military exposure to contaminated water, despite finding it unclear whether there is a statistical association with organic solvents.
- Claimed conditions
- hepatic steatosis
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19185851
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 3,217 · Granted: 46% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19185851.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and hepatic steatosis have been denied. The claim for rheumatoid arthritis is being remanded.,Service connection has not been established for the claimed conditions.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's hypertension, erectile dysfunction, sleep apnea, and migraines were all denied increased ratings.,Service connection for hepatic steatosis was granted.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatic steatosis, including as due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, finding that there was no evidence linking his condition to his military service or presumed exposure.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating of 10 percent for his left index finger scar is granted. The appeal to grant service connection for hepatic steatosis is dismissed as the Veteran did not file a written statement of disagreement within the required timeframe.
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