The Board found that the Veteran's upper gastrointestinal disorder did not pre-exist his service and was not aggravated by a service-connected disability, thus denying the claim for service connection.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed no clear and unmistakable objective medical evidence demonstrating that the Veteran's acid reflux disease or hiatal hernia were either pre-existing conditions or permanently worsened during service.
- Claimed conditions
- acid reflux disease, hiatal hernia
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 19, 2013
- Citation
- 1319804
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 1319804.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee disability, but denied her claims for acid reflux disease and urinary incontinence. The decision also remanded her bilateral shoulder disabilities.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU rating is granted with an effective date of March 15, 2017.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's initial disability rating for migraine headaches has been granted at 50 percent. The issue of service connection for hiatal hernia and esophagitis, related to PTSD, is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.
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