The Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD as secondary to his asbestos pleural plaque with mild reactive airway (pulmonary condition) and TDIU prior to February 29, 2016 are being remanded due to the need for a medical opinion regarding whether any of the medication he takes for his pulmonary condition causes or aggravates his GERD.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that a medical opinion is necessary to address the Veteran's assertion that his GERD is caused by or aggravated by the medication he takes for his service-connected pulmonary condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), Asbestos pleural plaque with mild reactive airway (pulmonary condition)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20073825
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,062 · Granted: 34% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20073825.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of GERD, finding that there is no evidence to support a relationship between her current condition and her military service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted an initial rating of 60 percent for the Veteran's service-connected gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), finding that his symptoms, including pain, vomiting, and sleep disturbances, are productive of severe impairment of health.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The appeal is granted as the Veteran's initial 40 percent rating for service-connected lumbar spine disability is restored. The remaining issues on appeal are remanded due to inadequate VA examinations and other procedural errors.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's GERD was incurred during service and the Board granted service connection for this condition.
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