The Veteran's claim for service connection for non-malignant thyroid nodular disease is remanded due to the need for a VA opinion on whether his condition is related to in-service radiation exposure from nuclear warheads.
The deciding factor: The Board found that while there was no presumptive service connection based on ionizing radiation exposure, the Veteran's current diagnosis and credible reports of daily exposure to nuclear warheads during service support a remand for a VA opinion on whether his condition is related to this exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- non-malignant thyroid nodular disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Ionizing radiation
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 19, 2023
- Citation
- 23016907
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 23016907.
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 thyroid enlargement, non-toxic, is at least as likely as not related to his active duty service and granted service connection for this condition.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for various conditions related to microwave and radio-frequency radiation and/or ionizing radiation exposure. The Board dismissed the appeal as he no longer wished to pursue these claims.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for thyroid cancer, non-malignant thyroid nodular disease, and hypothyroidism.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for non-malignant thyroid nodular disease as there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between the condition and active service, including exposure to ionizing radiation.
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