The Veteran's claim for bilateral hand disorder, claimed as carpal tunnel syndrome, has been reopened and service connection is granted on a secondary basis to his service-connected irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).,Service connection for GERD is granted.,An initial 20 percent rating for the right ankle disability is granted under Diagnostic Code 5271.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows that since the prior September 2008 denial, the Veteran has been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome and GERD. The newly submitted evidence showing these current diagnoses relates to unestablished facts and raises reasonable possibilities of substantiating these service connection claims.,A May 2015 esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) confirmed a diagnosis of GERD. A January 2017 private medical opinion provided a positive opinion that there is a relationship between GERD and IBS, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.,The evidence for and against the claim of entitlement to service connection for right ankle disability as secondary to IBS is at least in equipoise. Therefore, reasonable doubt must be resolved in favor of the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hand disorder, to include carpal tunnel syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 21, 2018
- Citation
- 18113277
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 18113277.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder disability, abdominal hernia, GERD, bilateral ankle disabilities, and bilateral foot disabilities. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during the appellant's period of active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for sinusitis and remanded the Veteran's claims for chronic lower back pain, right knee pain, left knee pain, neck pain, and GERD.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and denied the claims for right knee disability, erectile dysfunction, GERD, sleep apnea, and hypertension. The decision is remanded for further action on these issues.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and gastroesophageal reflux disease due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.
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