The Board has determined that the VA medical opinion is inadequate for adjudication purposes and remanded for an addendum opinion to consider the Veteran's exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The matter must be returned to the RO for further development.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner failed to provide a rationale to support the negative nexus opinion, specifically considering the Veteran's specific risk factors and medical history related to her breast cancer diagnosis.
- Claimed conditions
- breast cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 4, 2023
- Citation
- 23007314
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 23007314.
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 has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for breast cancer, as secondary to her fibrocystic breast disease. The decision is based on a duty to assist error and requires a new VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's breast cancer.
- Granted
The Veteran's breast cancer is granted service connection, with the Board finding that her condition is at least as likely as not related to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during her military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for breast cancer and right knee disability due to a lack of VA examination and opinion addressing the etiology of these conditions in the context of her military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral tinnitus is granted. The claims for vertigo, breast cancer, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy are remanded due to insufficient development of evidence regarding toxic exposure risk activities (TERA). The claim for coronary atherosclerotic disease is also remanded.
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