The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for coronary artery disease, as his VA Form 9 was not timely filed. The claims for increased ratings for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity were denied. The claim for GERD was granted with a zero percent rating effective June 12, 2015.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's VA Form 9 was not timely filed as it was received more than one year after the September 2014 decision denying service connection for coronary artery disease. The claims were denied due to lack of new and material evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 25, 2017
- Citation
- 1735425
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 1735425.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied extraschedular ratings for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine and lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities, as well as a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to February 3, 2011.
- 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.
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