The evidence does not establish that the Veteran's gastrointestinal disability, variously diagnosed as GERD, hiatal hernia, and diverticulitis, is related to his active service. The Board finds no in-service disease or injury for this claim.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence of a gastrointestinal disability during service, and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that any current gastrointestinal disability is related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Gastrointestinal Disability (GERD, Hiatal Hernia, Diverticulitis), Cardiac Disability, Hypertension, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (Bipolar Disorder, Depressive Disorder, Anxiety Disorder)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 11, 2018
- Citation
- 1802028
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 1802028.
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
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