The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inconsistencies in the medical opinions and the need for additional VA examinations considering the Veteran's exposure to Camp Lejeune.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on internal inconsistencies in previous medical opinions and the requirement of new, specific medical opinions under the PACT Act regarding the Veteran's exposure to toxic exposures at Camp Lejeune.
- Claimed conditions
- skin rash, right elbow pain, left elbow pain, emphysema (also claimed as coughing and shortness of breath), sore throat and laryngitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2023
- Citation
- A23031216
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 A23031216.
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 Board has dismissed all appeals related to the appellant's claims for service connection due to his withdrawal of the appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for left elbow pain, right elbow pain, left hip pain, and right hip pain due to lack of evidence showing a current disability within one year of discharge from active duty or that the conditions were incurred in or caused by service.,For right elbow pain, the Board found no current disability as there was no complaint or treatment for an elbow condition during service or since. For left and right hip pain, the Board found no evidence showing a current disability within one year of discharge from active duty or that the conditions were incurred in or caused by service.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's skin rash is not service-connected, but his temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is service-connected. The TMD was found to be related to a dental procedure during service.
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