The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's gallbladder condition and his military service, including exposure to herbicides. The case will be returned for further development.
The deciding factor: The VA medical examiner failed to consider the potential link between the dioxins the Veteran was exposed to in service and the development of substances such as cholesterol and calcium bilirubinate that contribute to gallstone formation.
- Claimed conditions
- pancreatitis, gallbladder condition
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 17, 2026
- Citation
- 26002129
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 26002129.
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 asthma, COPD, pancreatitis, stroke, and left arm weakness (claimed as secondary to stroke) based on the presumption of exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service or due to in-service exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection of pancreatitis is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if it is related to his service-connected psychiatric disability.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection for pancreatitis was granted with a 30% rating, effective November 15, 2023. The Veteran also received service connection for migraines and left ankle sprain with tendinitis, both rated at 30% and 20%, respectively, effective the same date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to a duty to assist error. The Board finds that the Veteran may have been exposed to toxic substances during his service, including RF radiation and asbestos. However, VA did not obtain an opinion regarding the relationship between these exposures and the claimed conditions.
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