The Veteran's claim for service connection has been reopened, and he is granted service connection for IBS with functional diarrhea. The case is remanded to address the issue of service connection for erectile dysfunction.
The deciding factor: New evidence was submitted that relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim - exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during service in Southwest Asia. This raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Crohn’s disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), cholelithiasis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with functional diarrhea
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19131014
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and pernicious anemia, and the Board dismissed both appeals.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as the appellant does not have a documented history of recurrent or refractory esophageal stricture(s).
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for an initial compensable disability rating for right inguinal hernia surgery and service connection for a low back disability, as well as remanded the claims for service connection for GERD and entitlement to an increased rating for hypertension.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and a right hip disability, and granted a 30 percent rating for ureterolithiasis. The claim for an increased rating for PTSD was denied, while other claims were remanded.
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