The Veteran's kidney failure is related to his military service, specifically exposure to contaminants at Camp Lejeune. However, the VA examiner did not address important evidence in the record that may support a finding of service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not consider treatment for kidney and urinary tract complaints documented in the Veteran’s service treatment records or whether the use of medications (e.g., Vioxx) for his service-connected knee disabilities have caused or aggravated his kidney disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- kidney failure
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19193637
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 19193637.
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 chronic kidney disease was dismissed due to the Veteran not timely filing a Notice of Disagreement within one year of the rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, for purposes of entitlement to dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC), as further development is necessary.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for heart disease and kidney failure due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's in-service asbestos exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for kidney failure, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between the condition and his military service, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
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