The Board remands the claims for service connection for hepatic steatosis and esophageal varices due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their relationship to active duty, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
The deciding factor: The July 2024 and September 2024 VA opinions were found insufficient as they did not adequately address the Veteran's specific risk factors or apply the correct standard for determining service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- hepatic steatosis, esophageal varices
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 1, 2025
- Citation
- 25005956
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for cervical strain and a compensable rating for scars post-removal of squamous cell carcinomas, while remanding several other claims including diabetes mellitus, type II, diabetic neuropathies, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, left knee disability, traumatic brain injury with post-concussion syndrome migraines, and left hip disability.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hepatic steatosis, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and no sufficient nexus to exposure at Camp Lejeune.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of December 8, 2017, for the grant of service connection for rhinitis but denied initial compensable ratings and higher ratings for other conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied payment or reimbursement for non-VA medical care for cancer and hepatic steatosis as a Camp Lejeune family member due to the clinical finding that these conditions did not result from exposure at Camp Lejeune.
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