The Veteran's Barrett's esophagus was not shown to be related to his active service or presumed herbicide exposure. The Board denied the claim for service connection as there is no evidence of a current disability during service or within one year after separation, and no competent medical opinion linking the condition to service. For SMC, the Veteran did not meet the criteria as he was able to perform daily activities without regular aid and attendance.
The deciding factor: The Board found that Barrett's esophagus is not related to service due to lack of evidence showing onset during or within one year after separation from active service, and no competent medical opinion linking it to service. For SMC, the Veteran did not meet the criteria as he was able to perform daily activities without regular aid and attendance.
- Claimed conditions
- Barrett's esophagus
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 19, 2018
- Citation
- 1803568
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 1803568.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for cirrhosis, hepatitis C, hepatocellular carcinoma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastritis, Barrett's esophagus, and obstructive sleep apnea but dismissed the claim for an acquired psychiatric disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma, actinic keratosis, GERD, and Barrett's esophagus due to insufficient evidence regarding their relationship to in-service sun exposure or service-connected hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to a prohibited concurrent election under VA claims processing rules.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a GI disability and left knee disability, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
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