The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinion regarding service connection for hypothyroidism, specifically related to ionizing radiation exposure. The Veteran needs an examination and a new nexus opinion considering his claims file and a specific article.
The deciding factor: The current opinion is insufficient as it did not include an antibody test (Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb)) to assess whether the Veteran has autoimmune thyroid disease, which was requested in the remand order.
- Claimed conditions
- hypothyroidism, non-malignant thyroid disease
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Ionizing radiation
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20000800
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a deviated septum and denied compensable ratings for allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, hypothyroidism, and hypertension.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for hypothyroidism, as it is presumptively linked to herbicide agent exposure during the Veteran's service in Vietnam.
- Denied
The Board denied an initial compensable disability rating for service-connected hypothyroidism and remanded the claim for service connection for lipomas (claimed as cysts surgery).
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for hypothyroidism secondary to in-service toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) based on the Veteran's conceded in-service jet fuel fumes exposure.
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