The Board denied service connection for a heart murmur, right ankle disorder, GERD, and gastritis as there is no competent evidence of current disabilities.,Service connection was not granted for the Veteran's claimed disorders because the medical records do not show any current diagnoses or symptoms related to these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran did not have current disabilities for which service connection may be awarded, and there is no competent evidence linking his in-service diagnoses to his current conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart murmur, Right ankle disorder, Gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), Gastritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20077394
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 20077394.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's GERD is rated at 10 percent since May 2023. The Board has granted an initial rating of 60 percent for the condition, effective from May 19, 2024.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of a cardiac disability due to insufficient evidence and need for clarification on whether the heart murmur is a congenital defect or disease, as well as potential exposure during active service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's right ankle disorder, finding that it was not shown to be related to his active duty service and did not meet the criteria for secondary service connection due to his left ankle disability.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection of sinusitis is dismissed. The appeals for cervical spine disability, bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy, GERD, and migraine disability are remanded.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.