The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a disability of the pancreas and gallbladder, as well as her claim for an earlier effective date for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits. The VA is instructed to obtain any additional evidence from the Veteran and arrange for a new VA examination or medical opinion to address the etiology of any current disabilities involving the pancreas and/or gallbladder.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous opinions were inadequate, particularly regarding the likelihood of service connection and aggravation by service-connected conditions. The case is remanded to obtain further clarification from a VA examiner or physician.
- Claimed conditions
- pancreatitis, cholecystectomy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20049823
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 20049823.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals were withdrawn, and his claims for increased ratings and service connection were dismissed. The Board found no evidence of ankylosis or other disabling conditions that would warrant higher ratings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's GERD is rated at a 30 percent rating, but no higher. The claim for TDIU was raised and must be adjudicated again.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for urinary frequency, as secondary to hypertension and non-service-connected diabetes mellitus type II. The other claims are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.
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