The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for kidney stones prior to July 13, 2009 and in excess of 30 percent thereafter was denied. The issue of service connection for abdominal disorder (including a hernia) is remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish the current etiology of the Veteran's abdominal disorder or its relationship to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Kidney Stones, Abdominal Disorder (including a hernia)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19118992
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,642 · Granted: 19% (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 19118992.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's kidney stones have been rated at a 60 percent since October 28, 2019. This decision grants the rating for this period.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for initial ratings on GERD and a right shoulder disability, as well as the denials of service connection for alopecia, bronchitis, left elbow disability, right elbow disability, lentigo, sinusitis, bilateral hearing loss, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) have been dismissed due to his withdrawal during a hearing before the undersigned. The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) has been granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including kidney stones, tinnitus, high frequency bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral cataracts, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board granted entitlement to total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for the period of August 30, 2022, to January 24, 2023.
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