The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death is related to his military service, specifically his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The examiner must also determine if the cause of death was proximately due to or aggravated by any service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was insufficient evidence to establish a connection between the Veteran's cause of death and his military service, particularly his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The case is being remanded for further evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiovascular collapse, gram negative bacteremia, neutropenia, gastric carcinoma with metastasis to liver and peritoneum
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20035662
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 20035662.
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 Veteran's claim for service connection for a blood/bone marrow disorder, including myelodysplastic syndrome, leukopenia, and neutropenia, is being remanded due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The Board acknowledges that the Veteran was exposed to Agent Orange during his military service in Vietnam.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for neutropenia was denied, while the issue of service connection for gastritis is remanded.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal due to an improper concurrent election of review options.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a hematologic and lymphatic disability, including MDS with manifestations progressing to AML. The appeal for anxiety and depression is dismissed as moot due to the VA rating decision recognizing these conditions as manifestations of service-connected psychiatric disorders.
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