The Board denied service connection for hiatal hernia and erosive duodenitis, finding that the Veteran's conditions were not caused by his military service or related to his service-connected back disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found it less likely than not that the Veteran’s hiatal hernia and erosive duodenitis were caused by or aggravated by his service-connected back disability due to other significant risk factors such as obesity, Celiac disease, and past treatment for H. Pylori infection.
- Claimed conditions
- Hiatal Hernia, Erosive Duodenitis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 23, 2021
- Citation
- 21009696
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 21009696.
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
An effective date of September 7, 2018 is granted for service connection of PTSD.,A higher initial rating for hiatal hernia prior to May 2, 2017 is denied.,TDIU from September 7, 2018 is granted.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability, including hiatal hernia and GERD, is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions. The Board finds that new evidence has been submitted but does not consider it relevant to the current decision.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and remanded the claims for service connection for splenomegaly, fecal retention, and hiatal hernia.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for GERD and hiatal hernia to obtain additional medical opinions regarding aggravation by the Veteran's service-connected musculoskeletal conditions.
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