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Granted

Service connection for GERD was granted based on its being related to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD. Effective dates of May 5, 2009 were assigned for the grants of service connection for PTSD with alcohol abuse and a muscle injury, status post shell fragment wound to the left arm and armpit.

The deciding factor: The Board found that the GERD was related to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and granted service connection based on secondary service connection. The effective dates were set at May 5, 2009 as this is when the Veteran first filed a request to reopen his claims for these conditions.

Claimed conditions
GERD, PTSD, Muscle injury, status post shell fragment wound left arm and armpit
How they argued it
Not specified
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
100%
Decision date
February 12, 2019
Citation
19111151

Veterans Law Judge

J.W. ZISSIMOS

Decisions by this judge: 1,612 · Granted: 16% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)

Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.

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 19111151.

What this means for you

A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.

What you can do next

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