The appeal of the June 2025 AOJ decision regarding entitlement to service connection for disabilities caused by thyroid is dismissed. The AOJ's denial of other claims (bilateral knee, shoulder, hip, neuropathy, and stomach ulcer) is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not appear for scheduled VA examinations without showing good cause due to dementia.
- Claimed conditions
- Thyroid condition, Bilateral knee disability, Bilateral shoulder disability, Bilateral hip disability, Peripheral neuropathy, Stomach ulcer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 12, 2026
- Citation
- A26022498
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 A26022498.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case for a VA examination and medical opinions regarding the Veteran's thyroid disability. The claim will be readjudicated after these are obtained.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability is dismissed. The appeal for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities is denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and bilateral hip disability, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities have been granted due to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.
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