The Veteran's low back disability is related to his service, specifically the incident when he tripped over a curb in service. The VA examiner found that the condition is not likely due to or caused by his military service.,The Veteran's hepatic steatosis and portal splenic vein and mesenteric vein thrombosis are related to his service at Camp Lejeune, where he was exposed to contaminated water. The VA examiner noted that there were no medical notes for treatment of liver symptoms during or shortly after service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found the Veteran's low back disability is not likely due to or caused by his military service.,The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's hepatic steatosis and portal splenic vein and mesenteric vein thrombosis are related to his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, Hepatic steatosis, Portal splenic vein and mesenteric vein thrombosis
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 13, 2023
- Citation
- 23050656
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 23050656.
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 increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine and lumbar spine was granted with effective dates of May 13, 2019.
- Granted
The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was diagnosed during service and has continued since then. The Board granted service connection for this condition based on continuity of symptomatology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to inadequate examinations and the need for a retrospective opinion regarding the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, is related to service and granted service connection for this condition.
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