The Veteran's appeals for service connection of torn muscles, left and right biceps, heart disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), left shoulder impingement syndrome, and headaches as a residual of a concussion have been dismissed. The remaining issues of service connection for cervical spine condition, right knee condition, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and psychiatric disorder are being remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeals for torn muscles, left and right biceps during the Board Videoconference Hearing.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD), Headaches as a Residual of a Concussion, Heart Disorder (Palpitations due to mitral valve prolapse with mild mitral regurgitation), Left Shoulder Impingement Syndrome, Torn Muscles, Left Bicep, Torn Muscles, Right Bicep
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19153091
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,020 · Granted: 19% (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 19153091.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including Loss of Use of Both Feet with Sciatic and Femoral Nerve Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy, have resulted in the permanent loss of use of both feet. The Board has determined that this meets the criteria for financial assistance in purchasing an automobile and adaptive equipment.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including heart disorder, GERD, liver disorder, and peripheral neuropathy. The decision also noted that the Veteran's sciatica was not incurred in service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for generalized anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), liver condition, joint pain, intestinal condition, kidney condition, sleep apnea, vein condition, right carpal tunnel syndrome, left carpal tunnel syndrome, and lumbar spine disability have all been granted.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), and hypertension as secondary to PTSD. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions began during service or are related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
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