The Board denied service connection for GERD and a respiratory disability, finding that the Veteran's conditions did not begin in service or were otherwise related to service. The Board also denied ratings in excess of 10 percent for pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) and denied effective dates prior to August 28, 2013 for PFB and March 26, 2002 for degenerative joint disease, right knee.,The Board found that the Veteran's GERD was not related to service due to lack of evidence in service records. The respiratory disability issue had no current diagnosis or symptoms during the appeal period.
The deciding factor: The VA examination did not find any evidence of GERD in service and concluded that it is more likely caused by obesity, smoking, and diet rather than food consumed while serving.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)"}, {"condition_name":"Respiratory disability"}
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19128334
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
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- Granted
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