The Board has granted service connection for chronic headaches, granted a compensable rating for residual scar left foot laceration prior to May 6, 2011, and denied entitlement to higher ratings for the other conditions. The Veteran's GERD and bilateral pinguecula were also found not to warrant compensable ratings.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran had a history of headaches during service and continued to experience them post-service, meeting the current disability element. For his scar and GERD, the Board noted that they did not meet the criteria for higher ratings as there was no evidence of instability or pain in the scar, and mild symptoms were found for GERD.
- Claimed conditions
- Chronic left foot fasciitis, Chronic headaches, Chronic sinusitis and allergies, Right shoulder impingement syndrome, Left shoulder pain, Right knee condition, Left knee patellofemoral dysfunction, Residual scar from left foot laceration (prior to May 6, 2011), Residual scar from left foot laceration (from May 6, 2011 onwards), Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Bilateral pinguecula
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 17, 2015
- Citation
- 1534966
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 1534966.
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
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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