Service connection has been granted for residuals of frostbite of the left and right lower extremities. The Veteran's cervical dystonia and GERD claims are being returned for further development.,The Veteran's cervical dystonia claim is being returned for a new medical opinion due to inadequate reasoning in the previous VA examination. His GERD claim is also being returned for an examination as there was no full evaluation of his condition.,Service connection for residuals of frostbite of the upper extremities and peripheral neuropathy are being returned for further development, including examinations to assess these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's cervical dystonia may be related to head trauma during service or a genetic link. The GERD claim is unclear if it began in service.,Service connection cannot be determined without additional evidence regarding the onset and relationship of the GERD to service, as there was no full examination conducted.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of frostbite of the left lower extremity, residuals of frostbite of the right lower extremity, cervical dystonia, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19108272
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 19108272.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including GERD, chronic kidney disease, COPD, a heart condition, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnea, as additional development is necessary to address the Veteran's exposure to toxic chemical agents during his service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, remanded claims for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), a mental health condition, and increased ratings for the Veteran's knee strain and scoliosis.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for autoimmune pancreatitis, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), and hiatal hernia as they were not incurred in or caused by the Veteran's service, including toxic exposures.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case for an additional VA examination to evaluate the severity and manifestations of the Veteran's service-connected GERD, in light of recent caselaw changes.
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