The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD, finding that it is neither related to his military service nor caused by or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.
The deciding factor: Medical literature does not support a causal relationship between diabetes mellitus type II and GERD, and food poisoning, which the Veteran experienced in service, is not known to cause GERD.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19187178
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.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted an earlier effective date of August 10, 2022, for the grant of a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, GERD, and OSA due to a need for additional evidence.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 30 percent evaluation for left upper extremity radiculopathy, denied an increased rating for right upper extremity radiculopathy, restored the 20 percent rating for cervical spine degenerative disc disease, and granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's service-connected GERD is granted a disability rating of 60 percent, but no higher. The claims for service connection for hemorrhoids, hypertension, and sleep apnea are remanded.
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