The Veteran's oral cancer, which caused his death, is being remanded for a VA opinion to determine its relationship to service exposure at Camp Lejeune and/or herbicide exposure from Vietnam. Additionally, the bilateral lower extremity disorders are also being remanded for a VA opinion on their relation to diabetes mellitus.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's oral cancer may have been caused by his confirmed exposure to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune or herbicide exposure from service in Vietnam, and/or malaria he contracted during service.
- Claimed conditions
- oral cancer, jaw cancer, lockjaw, loss of feeling in tongue, tooth loss, sinusitis, loss of smell, loss of taste, loss of speech, depression
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 10, 2023
- Citation
- 23014829
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 23014829.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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 remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to July 1, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. For TDIU, the Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities but his education and work experience were sufficient for sedentary or light labor employment.
- Granted
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to September 27, 2017. From September 27, 2017, the rating for depression increased to 70 percent.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The issues related to service connection for various conditions and disability ratings.
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