The Veteran's claim for hiatal hernia / GERD was denied. His right knee chondromalacia with degenerative arthritis received a 100% disability rating effective November 7, 2018. The claims for left knee, left hip, and right hip disabilities were remanded due to lack of evidence or insufficient evidence. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his right knee chondromalacia with degenerative arthritis was also remanded.
The deciding factor: The medical records did not support the Veteran’s claim that his current GERD was related to service, and he had no subsequent in-service complaints of GERD related symptoms. The November 2015 examiner found that the Veteran's current GERD was less likely than not caused by service.
- Claimed conditions
- hiatal hernia / gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), right knee chondromalacia with degenerative arthritis, left knee disability, left hip disability, right hip disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- September 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19169823
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 19169823.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient rationale in the July 2012 VA examination for the Veteran's left knee disability, and a new addendum opinion is needed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for left and right hip disabilities due to inadequate VA medical opinions. The Veteran will need an adequate VA medical opinion to determine if his hip disabilities are related to service.
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