The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for kidney disease and gout, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The Board also remanded the case for further development regarding a higher rating for right ulnar neuropathy.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims were denied as there was insufficient evidence to establish a link between his kidney disease and gout, which are not among the enumerated diseases that can be presumed service-connected due to exposure at Camp Lejeune. The Board also found no causal relationship between his right ulnar neuropathy and his service.
- Claimed conditions
- kidney disease, gout
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20006400
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
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- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for kidney disease, mass on kidney, and thyroidectomy was withdrawn by the Veteran's attorney representative.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection for various conditions were dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial evaluation of 20 percent for left and right ankle strains, denied a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, and remanded claims for hypertension and gout.
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