The Veteran's service connection claim for bowel problems, including GERD and food sensitivity, was denied. The Board found no medical evidence linking the current bowel problems to his active duty service. For the left knee disability, a rating in excess of 10 percent was denied, but a separate compensable rating for lateral instability was granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current bowel problems were not linked to his military service due to conflicting medical opinions and lack of evidence supporting an in-service onset or causation. For the left knee disability, the Board found no clinical evidence of subluxation or lateral instability warranting a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- bowel problems, gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD), food sensitivity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 27, 2019
- Citation
- 19149855
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 19149855.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for GERD and various increased rating claims while granting a 30% disability evaluation for IBS with constipation, an effective date of November 12, 2021, for the award of a 20% rating for right shoulder instability, and a 10% rating for painful motion of the right knee.
- Granted
The Board granted a 30 percent disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected GERD, but not higher.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed all appeals for service connection and a rating in excess of 10 percent for rhinitis.
- Granted
The Board granted an increased rating of 30 percent for ulcerative colitis with GERD, effective February 17, 2015.
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.