GERD (acid reflux) decisions — 2020

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of GERD due to new evidence being added to his file. The AOJ will consider this additional evidence before readjudicating the claims.

The appeal for service connection for sciatica is dismissed as the benefits have already been granted. The appeal for GERD is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for GERD with gastritis is remanded due to the need for a new examination and opinion regarding the severity, frequency, duration, and functional impairment of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's hypertension, GERD, migraine headaches, skin disability, and lead poisoning were not found to be related to his active service.,Service connection was denied for all claimed conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and medical opinions to determine the nature and etiology of his GERD, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, right hip disability, low back disability, and PTSD.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, radiculopathy of the lower extremities, and GERD have been granted initial ratings. The effective date for these grants is June 2, 2016.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral arm deformity, neck disability, and bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence showing a current disability during the pendency of the claim.,For left little finger, disjointed with scar, the Veteran's claim is remanded as there was no VA examination provided.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted from October 18, 2008 through November 17, 2011 due to his service-connected disabilities making it impossible for him to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The decision is based on the severity of his back strain and depression.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), finding that there was no causal relationship between these conditions and his active duty service or any service-connected disabilities.,Both the VA examiner in October 2019 and the addendum examiner in May 2020 provided negative opinions regarding both direct service connection and secondary service connection for sleep apnea and GERD.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of lumbosacral strain, right knee RPS, left knee RPS, and GERD. The case is being remanded to obtain new VA examinations and an addendum opinion.

The Veteran's GERD has worsened since his last VA examination in May 2018, and a new VA examination is needed to determine the current severity of his condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to unclear consideration of medication effects on the severity evaluations for chronic costochondritis and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The Veteran should be afforded new VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected conditions without considering the ameliorative effects of medications used during the claim period.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether acid reflux is related to service or secondary to anxiety disorder.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, gastrointestinal disorder (including gastroesophageal reflux disease), and headaches. The Veteran's current disabilities were not incurred in or related to his military service.,For the right foot fracture with residual pain, initial disability rating of 10 percent is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including COPD, GERD, and tinnitus, have prevented him from securing and maintaining a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted the TDIU rating based on these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to unclear employment dates and compensation information provided by the Veteran's employer. The claim for TDIU prior to December 1, 2017 is being returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to errors in development and duty-to-assist issues. The Veteran is seeking service connection for lumbar degenerative disc disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and mood disorder.

The Veteran's request for self-employment assistance through Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) was granted. The decision found that the Veteran has a serious employment handicap due to his service-connected disabilities, which necessitated selection of self-employment as the only reasonably feasible vocational goal.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, vertigo, and GERD due to conflicting evidence regarding the severity of his hearing loss prior to 1999, and insufficient consideration of whether he would have reported it during service. The issues are being remanded for further clarification and additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is caused or aggravated by his service-connected GERD. The Veteran needs a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his sleep apnea, including its relationship to his service-connected condition.