The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and opinions to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions, including peripheral neuropathy and GERD. The effective date for an increased rating of PTSD remains denied.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence (CUE) showing that the Veteran's pre-existing GERD did not pre-exist service or was not aggravated by service, thus reopening his claim for service connection for GERD. The effective date for an increased rating of PTSD remains denied as there is no evidence of worsening symptoms warranting a higher rating in the year before the receipt of the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- PTSD, left wrist disability, degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19165072
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 19165072.
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 withdrew his appeals for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and pernicious anemia, and the Board dismissed both appeals.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and somatic symptom disorder, as well as presumptive service connection for basal cell carcinoma under the PACT Act. Service connection was denied for chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, right restless leg syndrome, left restless leg syndrome, an increased rating for psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, a left forehead surgical scar, and allergic rhinitis.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as the appellant does not have a documented history of recurrent or refractory esophageal stricture(s).
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