The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for gastrointestinal distress/gastroesophageal reflux disease, finding that his current GERD was not related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran’s symptoms in service were not consistent with a diagnosis of GERD and did not indicate any chronicity. The most probative evidence showed no recurrence of stomach pain, vomiting, or headache during service, and these symptoms have been attributed to other conditions diagnosed after separation from service.
- Claimed conditions
- gastrointestinal distress/gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastritis, esophagitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 11, 2018
- Citation
- 18110215
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 18110215.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to unclear evidence regarding the diagnosis of gastritis and its relation to service. The Veteran needs to provide records, and a VA examiner will review his medical history and determine if gastritis is related to his military service or any other conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that remand is needed for the Veteran's claims due to duty to assist errors, including clarification of periods of service and obtaining relevant records. The Veteran will be afforded new medical examinations for each claimed disability.
- Granted
The Veteran's gastritis and esophageal stricture are granted as service-connected.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's initial disability rating for migraine headaches has been granted at 50 percent. The issue of service connection for hiatal hernia and esophagitis, related to PTSD, is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.
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