The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The AOJ is required to obtain additional medical records, attempt to locate the Veteran and schedule him for examinations, and provide nexus opinions regarding his claimed conditions.
The deciding factor: The AOJ failed to comply with previous remand instructions related to obtaining federal prison records and locating the Veteran's current address, which may be relevant to the claims on appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Respiratory disorder (claimed as asthma), Foot skin disorder (claimed as jungle rot)
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 30, 2026
- Citation
- 26001425
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 26001425.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Dupuytren's contracture of the left hand, right hand, and GERD is remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions and failure to consider toxic exposure risk activities during service.
- Denied
The Veteran's GERD is currently rated at 10 percent disabling, but the Board found that his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), finding that both conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lower back condition and sinusitis, respectively.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for bladder cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
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