The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for GERD with hiatal hernia, lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease, right shoulder strain with degenerative joint disease, and lungs residuals, calcified nodules of the lungs.
The deciding factor: No communication from the Veteran or his representative indicating an intent to claim service connection for these disabilities prior to February 14, 2012.
- Claimed conditions
- GERD with hiatal hernia, lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease, right shoulder strain with degenerative joint disease, lungs residuals, calcified nodules of the lungs
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19165208
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 19165208.
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 granted a 20 percent rating for the lumbar spine disorder from May 29, 2019, and denied special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for lumbar spine disability, prolapse of rectum, and hemorrhoids for additional development before a decision can be made.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for cervical spine disability, GERD with hiatal hernia, and sleep apnea while denying service connection for hypothyroidism, TMJ, stress headaches, and other conditions. The effective dates for the grants of service connection were not earlier than February 27, 2021.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal is remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the lumbar spine disorder and to address the need for aid and attendance.
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