The Veteran's GERD developed during service and is granted service connection.,Service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy is denied as there is no current diagnosis of such condition.,For the lumbar spine disability, a higher rating than 10 percent is not warranted due to lack of limitation of motion or ankylosis. For left lower extremity sciatica (left lower extremity radiculopathy), a higher rating than 10 percent is also not warranted as there is no moderate, moderately severe, or severe incomplete paralysis.,The Veteran's right and left pes planus and hallux valgus are denied service connection. Service connection for allergic rhinitis is granted.
The deciding factor: Service treatment records indicate complaints regarding stomach pain, including in March 2016. The February 2017 VA examiner found the Veteran had GERD with onset during service and treated with Nexium.,The October 2016 service treatment record documented that the Veteran complained of low back pain with radicular pain down the left leg only, while a November 2016 service treatment record noted complaints of left leg and back pain. The February 2017 VA examiner found no right lower extremity radiculopathy.,The February 2017 VA examination showed greater than 60 degrees of flexion and greater than 120 degrees combined range of motion, with pain. There was no ankylosis or abnormal gait/spinal contour caused by guarding. The Veteran could perform repetitive testing with no additional loss in range of motion.,The February 2017 VA examiner reported that the severity of left lower extremity radiculopathy was mild (no paresthesias/dysesthesias and/or numbness).,Right and left pes planus and hallux valgus are not service-connected as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service.
- Claimed conditions
- adjustment disorder with depressed mood, lumbar spine intervertebral disc syndrome, left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatica), left hip strain - abduction/adduction/extension/flexion, right and left pes planus, right and left hallux valgus, allergic rhinitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19152184
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,569 · Granted: 26% (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 19152184.
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's appeals for service connection for asthma and a 10 percent rating based on multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities were dismissed. The claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for eczema was denied, while the claim of entitlement to allergic rhinitis was not addressed as it pertained to different issues.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance, leading to the grant of SMC based on aid and attendance.
- Granted
This decision grants service connection for erectile dysfunction and assigns a noncompensable rating, effective November 6, 2020. The Veteran's adjustment disorder with depressed mood is granted as service-connected, also effective November 6, 2020. An effective date prior to November 6, 2020, is denied for the award of service connection for GERD and right lower extremity radiculopathy.,An effective date prior to November 6, 2020, is denied for the award of service connection for GERD and right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete findings and failure to properly address the onset, cause, and nature of his conditions. The VA will need to schedule examinations to determine if his rhinitis and bilateral hand disabilities are related to service.
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