The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete examination and duty-to-assist errors, including a need for an addendum VA medical opinion regarding the Veteran's liver conditions and obesity. The examiner is asked to provide opinions on the etiology of the Veteran's hepatic hemangioma and NAFLD/early NASH, as well as whether his service-connected PTSD and lumbosacral strain with arthritis caused or aggravated his obesity.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the March 2022 VA examination report was incomplete and inadequate, requiring an addendum opinion to clarify the Veteran's diagnoses and address the impact of his service-connected conditions on his ability to exercise and follow a healthy diet.
- Claimed conditions
- hepatic hemangioma, segment 5, right lobe, NAFLD [nonalcoholic fatty liver disease], early NASH [nonalcoholic steatohepatitis]
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2024
- Citation
- A24067861
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,990 · Granted: 35% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A24067861.
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 the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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