The Board has decided that the Veteran's service connection claim for hemorrhoids as secondary to duodenal ulcer should be remanded due to insufficient aggravation opinion.
The deciding factor: The examiner did not provide a rationale regarding whether the duodenal ulcer aggravated the hemorrhoids, which is required under 38 C.F.R. § 3.310(b).
- Claimed conditions
- hemorrhoids, duodenal ulcer
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 13, 2020
- Citation
- 20066281
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 remands the claim for service connection for hemorrhoids due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, requiring an additional direct medical opinion.
- Granted
The Board granted a 10 percent rating for hemorrhoids, which fully satisfies the Veteran's appeal.
- Granted
The Board granted a rating of 60 percent from January 27, 2016 to July 7, 2022 for the Veteran's duodenal ulcer, duodenitis, gastritis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for vertigo, incontinence, and GERD due to the lack of evidence supporting current diagnoses. The claims for hematuria and hemorrhoids were remanded for further development.
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