The Veteran's IBS is granted a 30 percent rating.,Service connection for COPD and sleep disability are remanded due to insufficient evidence.,Joint pain of ankles, knees, lower legs, shoulders, arms, and wrists are remanded due to insufficient evidence.,GERD and erectile dysfunction are remanded due to insufficient evidence.,No effective date provided as the decision is for appeal purposes only.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's IBS symptoms have been severe with frequent episodes of bowel disturbances, warranting a 30 percent rating during the entire appeal period.,Insufficient evidence to determine if COPD and sleep disability are related to service or other qualifying conditions. Remand is necessary for addendum opinions addressing these questions.,Insufficient evidence to determine if joint pain is due to service or known clinical diagnoses. Remand is necessary for addendum opinions addressing these questions.,Insufficient evidence to determine if GERD and erectile dysfunction are related to service, PTSD, or medications prescribed for PTSD. Remand is necessary for addendum opinions addressing these questions.,No effective date provided as the decision is for appeal purposes only.
- Claimed conditions
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Sleep Disability, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Erectile Dysfunction, Joint Pain of Ankles, Knees, Lower Legs, Shoulders, Arms, and Wrists
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20007162
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,088 · Granted: 33% (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 20007162.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of service connection for erectile dysfunction due to insufficient medical evidence and a need for a VA examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, right knee meniscal tear, and IBS, have rendered him unable to secure or follow any substantially gainful employment from May 1, 2020 to May 1, 2021. The Board finds that the evidence is in balance, with all reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is granted a 70% rating, effective July 15, 2024. The Veteran's GERD remains at a 10% rating.
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