The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an esophageal condition, finding that it was not related to his service-connected cervical spine disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the esophageal condition was not caused or aggravated by the service-connected cervical spine disability and there were no medical opinions contrary to this conclusion.
- Claimed conditions
- esophageal condition
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19183312
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for an esophageal condition and a hiatal hernia surgery scar, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the service connection claim for an esophageal condition, to include GERD, due to an inadequate VA examination and a need for a new medical opinion.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and headaches, and assigned a 10% rating for right armpit dermatitis. IBS was denied, while claims for other conditions were either denied or remanded.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an esophageal condition, finding it to be a functional gastrointestinal disorder related to Persian Gulf War exposure.
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