The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the cause of the Veteran's death and its relation to service, specifically his exposure at Camp Lejeune.
The deciding factor: Further development is needed to determine if the Veteran’s in-service exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune caused his death from pancreatic cancer, renal failure, and gastrointestinal manifestations.
- Claimed conditions
- Pancreatic cancer, Renal failure (kidney), Gastrointestinal manifestations
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 3, 2020
- Citation
- 20023185
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 20023185.
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 has determined that the Veteran's death from pancreatic cancer may be service-connected due to environmental exposures in service, and thus remands for a medical opinion on this issue. The DIC benefits claim is also remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to pancreatic cancer, finding that it was caused by herbicide agent exposure and the service-connected diabetes mellitus. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the appellant.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted effective dates for awards of SMC at various rates, with the earliest being December 13, 2023. The SMC is awarded based on his service-connected conditions and their impact on his daily life.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his pancreatic cancer was related to herbicide exposure during his service in Vietnam.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.