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
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 Board granted an effective date of April 25, 2022, for the award of service connection for tinnitus and a 100 percent initial rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied a disability rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD with alcohol use disorder as the Veteran's symptoms did not more closely approximate total occupational and social impairment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal was remanded for the AOJ to provide the Veteran with notice concerning his right to a hearing under 38 C.F.R. § 3.103(b)(1) and (d)(1).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, back pain, tuberculosis (TB), and bilateral hearing loss. The claim for a higher rating for bilateral pes planus was also denied.
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