The Veteran's application to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for an ulcer condition is granted. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for high blood pressure as secondary to herbicide exposure and for an ulcer condition due to in-service surgery.
The deciding factor: The evidence received since the final December 2003 Board decision includes statements from the Veteran that his preexisting ulcer condition was aggravated by stress during service, which is considered new and material evidence. The remand instructions are necessary to obtain a medical opinion on whether there was an increase in severity of the disability due to service.
- Claimed conditions
- ulcer condition, high blood pressure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20029194
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 20029194.
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 a back disorder, high blood pressure, and type II diabetes mellitus due to errors in development of the claim.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a bilateral knee condition, high blood pressure, and low back condition. Service connection was also denied for pseudofolliculitis barbae.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for a left knee condition. The reduction in rating for left ankle strain from 10 to zero percent was improper and restoration of the prior 10 percent rating is granted.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's attempts to appeal the January 14, 2020 rating decision were not timely filed and dismissed.
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