The Board has decided to remand the case for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's Bell's Palsy, specifically whether it is related to his service, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune and work as a dental technician.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the need for an examination to determine if the Veteran has HSV and its relation to his Bell's Palsy.
- Claimed conditions
- Bell's Palsy
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 21, 2023
- Citation
- 23010675
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 23010675.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claims seeking service connection for fatty liver, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, Bell's Palsy, GERD, neurobehavioral issues, and throat/esophageal cancer have been dismissed due to procedural errors in filing a concurrent election of review options.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for SMC-AA/HB and service connection for urinary frequency secondary to his service-connected lumbosacral strain with spinal stenosis is being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, which is the maximum rating available. The Board granted a 100 percent rating for CAD from October 21, 2013 to July 26, 2016. TDIU was granted effective August 31, 2011 and SMC at housebound rate was granted effective October 21, 2013.
- Denied
The Veteran's Bell's Palsy, Diabetes Mellitus Type II, Hypertension, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Glaucoma, and Low Back Arthritis were denied as they did not manifest in service or for many years thereafter, and the evidence does not show that his disabilities are related to or may be associated with service.,The Veteran's low back arthritis was denied as there is no indication of an association between the disability claimed by the veteran and his active duty service.
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