The veteran's GERD and hiatal hernia are manifested by increased symptoms if he forgets to take his medications, require use of medications three times daily, and are manifested by persistent regurgitation, dysphagia, eructation, and the need to sleep in an elevated position. The Board finds that a 30 percent evaluation is warranted.
The deciding factor: The veteran's GERD with hiatal hernia meets the criteria for a 10% evaluation under Diagnostic Code 7346, but resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the veteran, a 30% evaluation is warranted due to persistent regurgitation and difficulty swallowing.
- Claimed conditions
- GERD with hiatal hernia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- April 30, 2008
- Citation
- 0814178
Veterans Law Judge
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 0814178.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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 found that new and relevant evidence was received for the claims of service connection for hemorrhoids, a neck disability, a right shoulder disability, inguinal hernias, and GERD with hiatal hernia. These claims are now remanded for further adjudication.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for cervical spine disability, GERD with hiatal hernia, and sleep apnea while denying service connection for hypothyroidism, TMJ, stress headaches, and other conditions. The effective dates for the grants of service connection were not earlier than February 27, 2021.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for GERD with hiatal hernia, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began during active service and continue to this day.
- Granted
The Veteran's GERD with hiatal hernia is granted an initial 30 percent rating, effective from the date of the decision. The ratings for cervical strain with IVDS and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine are denied prior to October 19, 2021, but granted thereafter. Separate ratings for left hip bursitis and patellar instability associated with left knee degenerative arthritis are granted effective from October 19, 2021. The rating for right knee bipartite patella with discoid medial meniscus is granted a separate 20 percent rating as of January 28, 2022.
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