The Board has determined that the July 2020 Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) was inadequate as it did not consider the newly submitted evidence for the entire appeal period. The Veteran's claim is being remanded to reconsider the issue in its entirety, including the period prior to December 10, 2017.
The deciding factor: The July 2020 SSOC failed to consider and evaluate the newly received evidence in the context of the Veteran’s entire appeal period.
- Claimed conditions
- iatrogenic hypothyroidism
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20069935
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,185 · Granted: 28% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20069935.
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 Board has determined that the Veteran's current thyroid disorder, diagnosed as iatrogenic hypothyroidism and status-post Graves' disease, is related to his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. As a result, service connection for this condition is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to duty-to-assist errors after the October 2020 Board remand but prior to the issuance of the December 2020 supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) that denied an increased rating for iatrogenic hypothyroidism. The AOJ should obtain new TSH and T4 tests for the Veteran, add them to the claims file, and then obtain an additional addendum medical opinion from the same examiner.
- Granted
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's iatrogenic hypothyroidism rating is being remanded due to the need for updated treatment records and a new VA examination.
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.