The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a stomach disorder, but denied the secondary service connection as there is no evidence that the veteran's current stomach disorder is related to his service-connected seizure disorder.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner provided a definitive opinion linking the use of Dilantin with gastritis, but her opinion was not informed by claims file review and lacked detail. The Board found Dr. Watters' opinion less probative due to lack of thoroughness and detail.
- Claimed conditions
- stomach disorder, ulcers, gastritis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 31, 2006
- Citation
- 0609425
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including left foot condition, right foot condition, cellulitis, right ear hearing loss, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The appeal of the proposal to reduce a 40 percent evaluation for lumbosacral strain was dismissed.
- Granted
The Board granted a rating of 60 percent from January 27, 2016 to July 7, 2022 for the Veteran's duodenal ulcer, duodenitis, gastritis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a compensable rating and an increased rating for gastritis, gastroenteritis, and GERD to obtain a retrospective medical opinion on the severity of the Veteran's symptoms without the ameliorative effects of medication.
- Denied
The Board denied compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for ulcers, H. pylori, and colitis as a result of over-prescription of Ibuprofen by VA.
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