GERD (acid reflux) decisions — 2019

The Board dismissed the appeals for various conditions and issues as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for irregular heartbeat, acid reflux, irregular bowels, and fingertip amputation due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The Veteran's attorney did not waive untimely filing of a Substantive Appeal regarding these claims in 2016. Additional evidence is needed, including VA treatment records and private cardiology records from Dr. APB.

The Board has remanded the claims for sleep disorder, gastrointestinal disorder, and migraine headaches due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset during service.

The Veteran's low back disability and several other conditions are denied service connection. The remaining claims for unspecified depressive disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, sleep apnea, GERD, and erectile dysfunction are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected gastrointestinal disability is not rated higher than 30 percent before May 3, 2018 and 60 percent after that date. The claim for TDIU prior to May 3, 2018 was also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for eligibility for financial assistance in purchasing an automobile or adaptive equipment due to lack of loss or permanent use of a hand or foot, severe burn injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ankylosis of a knee or hip.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection and increased rating for acid reflux due to new evidence received since previous decisions. The claims for right and left knee disabilities, as well as PTSD, are also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for GERD, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, and left upper extremity radiculopathy as they were not adequately addressed in previous evaluations.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD is dismissed. The appeal for a higher rating for hiatal hernia with gastroesophageal reflux disease prior to March 27, 2014, is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient opinions provided by the VA examiners. The issues include bilateral shoulder disability, right hand joint pain, bilateral elbow and knee pain, cervical spine disability, renal cell carcinoma, neuropathy of lower extremities, osteoarthritis of left hand ring finger, hypertension, hiatal hernia with GERD, atopic dermatitis, migraine headaches, and bilateral condylar flattening indicative of degenerative joint disease of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and failure to consider all relevant evidence. The claims will be reconsidered after additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current separate diagnosis of depression and thus service connection for depression is denied. The claims for GERD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cancer of the tongue, and cancer of the head are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and a need for additional VA examinations.

The Veteran's GERD to include esophageal stricture is granted an initial 30 percent rating, but no higher. The Board also remanded the case for consideration of an extraschedular rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD, right shoulder bursitis, lumbosacral strain, and allergic rhinitis due to insufficient evidence or need for additional examination.

The Board denied service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as the evidence did not show it was related to active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, hypertension, and other conditions have been denied. The Board has found that the evidence does not support a finding of in-service disease or injury related to these conditions.,The Veteran was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome of the left wrist and right wrist after discharge from service, but no in-service complaints or diagnoses were noted.

The Veteran's GERD symptoms have been rated at 10 percent since February 1, 2012. Since January 4, 2013, the Veteran has been granted a 30 percent rating for his GERD.

The Veteran's cause of death, esophageal cancer, is considered to be related to his service-connected gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which began in service. The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death.

The Veteran withdrew all issues on appeal, resulting in the dismissal of the case.