The Veteran's petition to reopen his service connection claim for a gastrointestinal disability, including acid reflux and gastritis, was granted. The Board has determined that new evidence received since the final denial supports reopening the claim but has not yet decided whether service connection should be granted.
The deciding factor: New evidence submitted by the Veteran indicates he may have developed a gastrointestinal disability during his military service, particularly related to exposure to contaminated food and environmental exposures in Southwest Asia. The Board also notes that the Veteran's current symptoms are consistent with GERD, which is a known condition associated with such exposures.
- Claimed conditions
- acid reflux, GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), gastritis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20040991
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 20040991.
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 case due to unclear evidence regarding the diagnosis of gastritis and its relation to service. The Veteran needs to provide records, and a VA examiner will review his medical history and determine if gastritis is related to his military service or any other conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that remand is needed for the Veteran's claims due to duty to assist errors, including clarification of periods of service and obtaining relevant records. The Veteran will be afforded new medical examinations for each claimed disability.
- Granted
The Veteran's deviated nasal septum was granted service connection. The claims for anxiety and sleep disturbance, erectile dysfunction, headaches, acid reflux, hypertension (high blood pressure), irritable bowel syndrome, and jaw condition were denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's gastritis and esophageal stricture are granted as service-connected.
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