The Veteran's acid reflux is currently rated at 30 percent from December 23, 2009. The Board finds that the symptoms of persistent recurrent epigastric distress with dysphagia, pyrosis, and regurgitation, accompanied by substernal, arm, and shoulder pain, warrant a 30 percent rating.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's acid reflux is manifested by persistent symptoms including dysphagia, pyrosis (heartburn), regurgitation, reflux, and substernal, arm, and shoulder pain. The medical evidence supports the need for a higher rating based on these symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- Acid reflux, Substernal pain, Arm pain, Shoulder pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- January 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20007681
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,772 · Granted: 37% (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 20007681.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to an improper concurrent election of review options, as the Higher-Level Review requests were still pending and not withdrawn at the time the VA Form 10182 was submitted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for Barrett's disease, also claimed as GERD and acid reflux, to obtain a VA nexus opinion.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for acid reflux, right and left hip, right and left knee, and right ankle disabilities as the evidence did not support a finding of chronic disability during or related to active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and to provide the Veteran with notice concerning his right to a hearing on his supplemental claim.
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