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
- Not verified here — check the original 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20077394.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
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: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
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