The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his claimed disabilities, including Hashimoto's thyroiditis and unspecified autoimmune disorder, which he contends are related to exposure to ionizing radiation at Camp Lejeune. The VA will obtain additional medical opinions on whether these conditions are related to active service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's claims fall under 'all other claims' as he did not participate in atmospheric nuclear testing or serve in Japan during the requisite period, and thus dose data must be requested from the Department of Defense. The VA will also obtain additional medical opinions on whether the claimed disabilities are related to active service.
- Claimed conditions
- Hashimoto's thyroiditis, unspecified autoimmune disorder, colon resection residuals, pre-cancerous polyps, cysts removal, left ankle, fibromyalgia, IBS, numbness and neuropathy, left thigh, lymphoma on right side of face, osteoarthritis, multiple joints, unspecified cardiovascular-renal disease, NASH, cardiac disability including atrial fibrillation with arrhythmia and bradycardia
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 3, 2023
- Citation
- 23020402
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 23020402.
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 Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines was reopened due to new evidence. Service connection is granted for painful scars, but the rating assigned remains at 10 percent. The claims for fibromyalgia and bilateral shoulder disability are denied.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, fibromyalgia, and vertigo. The decision found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or a service-connected disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the AOJ did not obtain all necessary opinions regarding whether the Veteran's symptoms are related to an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (MUCMI). The claims for service connection for fatigue, fibromyalgia, left elbow disorder, right elbow disorder, and sleep disorder are remanded for further development.
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