The Veteran's claim for service connection has been reopened, but the Board finds that there is insufficient evidence to grant service connection for his lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease or hiatal hernia and esophagus spasm (claimed as acid reflux) disabilities. The case is remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide a clear opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease, nor did they address whether his hiatal hernia and esophagus spasm disability was related to active service or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine degenerative joint disease, hiatal hernia, esophagus spasm
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19106982
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 chronic kidney disease, atrial fibrillation, hiatal hernia, COPD, and prostate cancer as a result of toxic exposure during the Veteran's military service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 30 percent disability rating for GERD and hiatal hernia, effective March 31, 2020, but denied an earlier effective date and a higher initial rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a higher rating in excess of the current ratings for various musculoskeletal conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a compensable evaluation for hypertension and granted an increased rating of 20 percent for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease from April 13, 2022. The effective date for the right lower extremity radiculopathy was also granted as May 10, 2016.
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