The Veteran's GERD was not shown in service, and the preponderance of the evidence fails to establish an etiological relationship between the Veteran's diagnosed GERD and his active service. The Board finds that the Veteran's current left eye cataract is less likely related to environmental exposure in the service and more likely as not related to his severe obesity, supine positioning, and tobacco use, all of which are strongly associated with cataracts. The right eye cataract etiology was not addressed by the VA examiner due to ambiguity in the Veteran's history provided in the treatment records. The dysphonia to include a speech disorder is less likely related to service or a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide an opinion on the etiology of the left eye cataract and right eye cataract, nor did they address whether the Veteran's anxiety was related to his depression. The Board must remand these claims for further development.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Left eye cataract, Right eye cataract, Spastic dysphonia to include a speech disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2014
- Citation
- 1402220
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 1402220.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Dupuytren's contracture of the left hand, right hand, and GERD is remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions and failure to consider toxic exposure risk activities during service.
- Denied
The Veteran's GERD is currently rated at 10 percent disabling, but the Board found that his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), finding that both conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lower back condition and sinusitis, respectively.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for bladder cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
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