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 assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20073825
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 vacated the portion of its April 2020 decision that denied service connection for heart palpitations due to failure to consider the Veteran's theory that his heart palpitations are related to his GERD and/or Barrett’s esophagus. The remaining issues have been remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain updated VA treatment records and conduct further examinations to determine the nature and etiology of any gastrointestinal condition, including whether it is related to service-connected disabilities or obesity.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity sciatica associated with the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, but remanded claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
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