The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for hiatal hernia with duodenitis, esophagitis and GERD was granted. The effective date for the grant of this rating is not addressed as it pertains to an earlier effective date request which has been withdrawn. The claim for service connection for hypertension was reopened due to new evidence submitted since the last final denial in 1990. However, the Board found that the Veteran's back and neck disorder is not related to his active duty service or a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's neck pain had no relationship with his hiatal hernia, which was attributed to an automobile accident injury in 1988. The Board found that there was no medical nexus between the Veteran's back and neck disorder and active duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- hiatal hernia with duodenitis, esophagitis and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hypertension, back and neck disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- December 1, 2009
- Citation
- 0945545
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 0945545.
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
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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