The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left inguinal hernia and an increased evaluation for hiatal hernia with gastroesophageal reflux disease. The Board found that there was no evidence of a left inguinal hernia in service, and the current symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7346.
The deciding factor: The veteran's complaints did not include persistent recurrent epigastric distress with dysphagia, pyrosis, and regurgitation accompanied by substernal or arm/shoulder pain that is productive of considerable impairment of health.
- Claimed conditions
- left inguinal hernia, hiatal hernia with gastroesophageal reflux disease (gastrointestinal disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- June 28, 2004
- Citation
- 0417006
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,293 · Granted: 17% (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 0417006.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disability, right knee disability, bilateral hallux valgus with degenerative joint disease, bilateral shin splints (tingling of the bilateral lower extremities), tinea versicolor, migraines, and left shoulder disability are all found to have onset during his period of service from July 1996 to July 2008. As a result, these conditions are granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's left inguinal hernia is not considered due to lack of current diagnosis or functional impairment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA examinations are inadequate for rating both the hernia and scar conditions, and thus remands these issues to obtain a new examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's left inguinal hernia scars are currently rated at a noncompensable level, but the Board has granted a 20 percent rating for painful scars under Diagnostic Code 7804. The decision also notes that there is no evidence of instability or additional pain contributing to an even higher rating.
- Denied
The Veteran's left inguinal hernia is not rated compensable due to lack of functional impairment equivalent to postoperative hernia recurrent, readily reducible, and well supported by truss or belt.,The Veteran's tinea pedis with onychomycosis is rated 10 percent as it covers less than five percent of the total body area.
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