The Board found new and material evidence sufficient to reopen the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a hiatal hernia and gastrointestinal disorders. However, it was determined that neither a chronic gastrointestinal disability nor a hiatal hernia was present in service or related to his period of active service.
The deciding factor: Neither a chronic gastrointestinal disability nor a hiatal hernia was present in service, and the veteran's post-service gastrointestinal problems are not etiologically related to his period of active service.
- Claimed conditions
- hiatal hernia, gastrointestinal disorders, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, duodenitis, gastritis
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 14, 2003
- Citation
- 0307079
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 292 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0307079.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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 remanded the case due to unclear evidence regarding the diagnosis of gastritis and its relation to service. The Veteran needs to provide records, and a VA examiner will review his medical history and determine if gastritis is related to his military service or any other conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for adhesions as secondary to irritable bowel syndrome, finding that there was no nexus between the claimed condition and service or a service-connected disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that remand is needed for the Veteran's claims due to duty to assist errors, including clarification of periods of service and obtaining relevant records. The Veteran will be afforded new medical examinations for each claimed disability.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for effective dates earlier than July 18, 2024, for the awards of service connection for tinnitus, tension headaches, and irritable bowel syndrome have been dismissed.
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