The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for acid reflux and a higher rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s symptoms were attributable to his known clinical diagnosis of GERD and did not have a causal relationship with his service or any service-connected disability. The Veteran's PTSD-related symptoms were also found to be within the range associated with a 50% rating, which is the highest rating available for this condition.
- Claimed conditions
- acid reflux, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with alcohol use disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19132372
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,902 · Granted: 11% (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 19132372.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's deviated nasal septum was granted service connection. The claims for anxiety and sleep disturbance, erectile dysfunction, headaches, acid reflux, hypertension (high blood pressure), irritable bowel syndrome, and jaw condition were denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for acid reflux, TBI, and CFS. The claim for bilateral plantar fasciitis is remanded due to an inadequate VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for frequent urination, erectile dysfunction, chronic pain multiple joints, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and chronic bradycardia, acid reflux, bronchitis, and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded due to the presence of service-connected conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, and migraine headaches due to exposure to herbicides. The AOJ is instructed to provide the Veteran with notice of his right to a hearing on his supplemental claim.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.