The Board has decided to remand the case due to unclear etiology of the Veteran's tremors and insufficient competent medical evidence on file. The Veteran is presumed to have contaminant exposure from water at Camp Lejeune, but service connection may be established on a direct basis.
The deciding factor: There is conflicting evidence regarding the initial onset of the Veteran's tremors and an unclear etiology for his current neurological disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- neurobehavioral disorder, essential tremors
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20005475
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 remands the claim for essential tremors to correct errors in fulfilling the duty to assist, specifically related to an inadequate examination and opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for essential tremors to obtain an addendum VA medical opinion addressing the etiology of the condition, including its potential relation to service and secondary causes.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and a skin disability but granted service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatica) as secondary to service-connected lumbar strain and an initial 10 percent disability rating for essential tremors.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for essential tremors, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
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