The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of substantial compliance with its previous remand orders. The Veteran's claim for service connection for colon cancer, linked to in-service exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, needs further examination and an addendum opinion from an appropriate examiner.
The deciding factor: The Board found the previous examiner’s opinion inadequate as it did not address the specific contaminants recognized by VA as present in the drinking water at Camp Lejeune during the Veteran's time there or their possible etiological relationship to the Veteran's colon cancer.
- Claimed conditions
- colon cancer
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2020
- Citation
- 20074440
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 Board remands the claim for service connection of colon cancer, claimed as due to exposure to asbestos, for an addendum opinion considering additional evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for colon cancer as the evidence did not support a link between the Veteran's current condition and their in-service toxic exposure risk activity.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the service connection claim for colon cancer to obtain a medical opinion on its etiology, particularly regarding exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the claims.
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