The Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD is remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional medical records. The issue of service connection based on herbicide exposure is also remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran has not been provided with an adequate opinion regarding his claims, necessitating further development including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- GERD (Schatski’s ring, dysphagia, esophageal stricture, esophageal conditions)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19187684
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for dysphagia and remanded the claims for residuals from a colon tumor, gallbladder removal, papillary urethral carcinoma, and heart disability due to potential exposure to herbicide agents and ionizing radiation.
- Granted
The Veteran's dysphagia, diaphragmatic hernia without obstruction or gangrene, and GERD were granted a 30 percent rating from June 30, 2022.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection and higher rating was dismissed due to a concurrent election of review options.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands all service connection claims for additional development, including obtaining a TERA memorandum and new medical opinions.
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