The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate reasons or bases for its decision not to provide a VA examination, and because there is insufficient competent medical evidence on file for the Secretary to make a decision on the claim.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's sole report of acid reflux in September 2015 was not enough to meet the low threshold of McLendon, but failed to discuss whether his statement expressed recurrent or persistent symptoms. The Court agreed and ordered a remand for further examination and opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran’s acid reflux.
- Claimed conditions
- acid reflux
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20070354
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,960 · Granted: 36% (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 20070354.
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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for acid reflux, TBI, and CFS. The claim for bilateral plantar fasciitis is remanded due to an inadequate VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for frequent urination, erectile dysfunction, chronic pain multiple joints, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and chronic bradycardia, acid reflux, bronchitis, and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded due to the presence of service-connected conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, and migraine headaches due to exposure to herbicides. The AOJ is instructed to provide the Veteran with notice of his right to a hearing on his supplemental claim.
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