The Veteran's gallbladder and pancreas disabilities, including residuals caused by each, are being remanded for further development to determine if they are related to his service-connected PTSD with depression and alcohol dependence.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner is needed to provide opinions on the etiology of the Veteran's gallbladder and pancreas disabilities, specifically whether they are related to herbicide exposure or service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- gallbladder removal, pancreatitis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20029683
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 20029683.
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 asthma, COPD, pancreatitis, stroke, and left arm weakness (claimed as secondary to stroke) based on the presumption of exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service or due to in-service exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to missing records and a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The claims will be readjudicated after obtaining any necessary records.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection for pancreatitis was granted with a 30% rating, effective November 15, 2023. The Veteran also received service connection for migraines and left ankle sprain with tendinitis, both rated at 30% and 20%, respectively, effective the same date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection of pancreatitis is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if it is related to his service-connected psychiatric disability.
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