The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected hiatal hernia and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine do not warrant a higher disability rating at any time during the period under consideration.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show that the Veteran's hiatal hernia or degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine is manifested by symptoms such as substernal or arm/shoulder pain, which would be required for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code (DC) 7346. The Veteran’s complaints have been characterized primarily in terms of regurgitation and heartburn.
- Claimed conditions
- hiatal hernia, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 15, 2012
- Citation
- 1205645
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 1205645.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records and will provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine arthritis is aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disability was rated at 40% prior to September 28, 2018. From that date, the rating was increased to 50%. The earlier effective date for TDIU is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate development of her exposure history and lack of adequate medical opinions. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further action.
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