The Board granted a 30 percent rating for irritable bowel syndrome during the entire appeal period. The Board remanded service connection claims for COPD, sleep disability, GERD, erectile dysfunction, and joint pain for further examination and nexus opinions.
The deciding factor: The Board found sufficient evidence that the Veteran experienced severe diarrhea with constant abdominal distress meeting the 30 percent rating criteria for IBS, but determined that remand was necessary to obtain adequate medical opinions addressing various service connection theories including secondary service connection, Gulf War exposure, and aggravation by service-connected PTSD.
- 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
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- January 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20007162
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matters for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and conducting VA examinations.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
- Denied
The appeal for service connection for PTSD was dismissed, and the claims for a compensable rating for the lower back scar, service connection for COPD, and peripheral artery disease were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, COPD, a gastrointestinal disability, and migraines due to lack of evidence supporting a link between these conditions and her military service.
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