The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of gastrointestinal symptoms and therefore, service connection for these symptoms is denied. The neurological symptoms are remanded for further examination.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence of a diagnosed gastrointestinal disease or illness in the Veteran's case.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastrointestinal symptoms, Neurological symptoms
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20006829
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,017 · Granted: 36% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20006829.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an unspecified allergy (allergic rhinitis) due to insufficient evidence regarding its relationship to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability is granted. For the entire period on appeal, entitlement to an initial disability rating of 100 percent for PTSD is granted. Beginning June 29, 2016, entitlement to special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate is granted. The issues of service connection for joint pain, neurological symptoms, and left knee strain are remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to unclear diagnoses and conflicting opinions. The Veteran is seeking service connection for a respiratory condition, gastrointestinal disability, fatigue, and lightheadedness, all of which he contends are related to his Gulf War service.
- Granted
The Veteran's gastrointestinal symptoms, including abdominal distension, bloating, nausea, and frequent semi-formed stool, are considered an undiagnosed Gulf War illness. The Board found that the Veteran served in Iraq during the Persian Gulf War and exhibited signs of chronic disability related to this illness during his service.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.