The Veteran's kidney condition may be related to his service, specifically exposure to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune. However, a VA examination is needed to confirm this.,The Veteran's left middle finger fracture residuals are likely not related to his service due to the lack of contemporaneous medical records.
The deciding factor: VA requires an examination and opinion under the PACT Act for claims involving toxic exposure risk activities, including Camp Lejeune. The absence of treatment records does not necessarily disprove a connection.,The VA examiner's opinion was based solely on the lack of medical records from service, without considering the Veteran's lay reports of injury.
- Claimed conditions
- Kidney Condition, Left Middle Finger Fracture Residuals, Arthritis of the Left Hand, Tinnitus, Low Back Disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 12, 2024
- Citation
- 24011537
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 24011537.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
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