The Board granted the appellant's claims for service connection on a secondary basis for gallbladder disability and an increased rating for duodenal ulcer disability with subtotal gastrectomy, both for purposes of accrued benefits. The cause of the veteran's death was not addressed as it is not related to his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the veteran's gallbladder disability was proximately due to or the result of his service-connected duodenal ulcer disability with subtotal gastrectomy, and granted an increased rating for the duodenal ulcer disability. The cause of death claim was not addressed as it is not related to any service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- gallbladder disability, duodenal ulcer disability with subtotal gastrectomy
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- May 28, 2003
- Citation
- 0310242
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,592 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0310242.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a hysterectomy is denied as her hysterectomy was not related to her active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with prior remand directives and a need for further medical opinions regarding whether pain medications used for service-connected low back disability caused or aggravated gallbladder disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding whether VA's negligence in prescribing Tramadol and iron led to the Veteran's gallbladder removal. The case is being returned for an adequate opinion from a VA clinician.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for gallbladder disability, pre-cancer polyps and colon problems, and dental condition, but granted a 40 percent rating for right shoulder injury and a 30 percent rating for right elbow disability.
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