The Veteran's esophageal stricture is rated at 50 percent, and the Board denied an evaluation in excess of this rating.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s esophageal stricture did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating as it was not so severe that he could only tolerate liquids and markedly impaired his general health.
- Claimed conditions
- esophagus stricture
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- December 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20080578
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.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical strain, esophagus stricture, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and migraine headaches due to untimely notice of disagreement. The appeal for B-cell lymphoma was remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's esophagus stricture and remanded a claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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