The Veteran's application to reopen his previously denied claim of service connection for a right leg disability is denied. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and depression, due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
The deciding factor: The new evidence does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim of service connection for a right leg disability. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder may be related to in-service events or exposures, including contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune.
- Claimed conditions
- right leg disability, acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD, depression, substance abuse)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20039403
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 20039403.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for HTN, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, gout, and right leg disability are all granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right leg disabilities due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if any current left or right leg disabilities are related to active service.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a rating in excess of 50 percent for bilateral pes planus is dismissed. Service connection for right knee disability as secondary to service-connected bilateral pes planus is granted, and the appeals for neck disability and right leg disability as secondary to service-connected bilateral pes planus are remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for hearing loss, back disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, right knee disability, right leg disability, right hip disability, and left hip disability. The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to in-service noise exposure, while his other disabilities are not linked to service.
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