The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examiner's opinion regarding whether the Veteran's GERD is secondary to or aggravated by his service-connected asthma and/or rhinitis. The case will be referred for a new examination.
The deciding factor: The previous VA examiner did not address service connection based on aggravation, nor did they consider whether the GERD was aggravated by the service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastrointestinal disability, Asthma, Rhinitis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 23, 2019
- Citation
- 19105608
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 asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted a 30 percent disability rating for asthma from August 23, 2021 to May 14, 2022.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include alcohol use disorder, unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress, and PTSD was granted. Other claims for various conditions were denied.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.