The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder was aggravated by service. The Veteran is presumed to have had a preexisting gastrointestinal condition, but there must be clear and unmistakable evidence that any such condition did not increase in severity during service.
The deciding factor: The Board found the April 2014 VA medical opinion inadequate for rating purposes due to its failure to employ the correct legal standard and provide adequate rationales.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastrointestinal disorder
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 5, 2016
- Citation
- 1613877
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 1613877.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the claim for service connection of a gastrointestinal disorder as secondary to PTSD because the Veteran died before his hearing could be conducted.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder is dismissed.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to January 2, 2023, for the establishment of service connection for tinnitus is denied.,The Veteran's claims for bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are remanded.,The Veteran's claims for a headache disorder and hypertension are remanded.,The Veteran's claim for a heart disorder is remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability, including IBS and GERD, as it found no evidence of such disabilities in service or related to exposure to Camp Lejeune contaminated water. The Board also noted that any current gastrointestinal issues are not linked to service-connected conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found new and relevant evidence for the Veteran's claim of a gastrointestinal disorder, leading to remand. The case will be reconsidered with additional medical records and examination.
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