The Board denied service connection for esophageal disability, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and active service.
The deciding factor: The Board found no credible evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation of an esophageal disorder, despite the Veteran's contentions. The absence of contemporaneous medical records related to esophageal symptoms during service was considered against him.
- Claimed conditions
- esophageal disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 22, 2021
- Citation
- A21020436
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 A21020436.
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 Board has granted service connection for esophageal disability, including hiatal hernia, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), stricture of the esophagus, gastritis, and eosinophilic esophagitis. The decision finds that the Veteran's symptoms began during active service and have continued since then.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a back disability and denied service connection for neck, left ankle, right ankle, left trochanteric pain syndrome, OSA, esophageal disability, left wrist, and right knee disabilities. The decision is based on the Veteran's competent and credible statements regarding symptom onset during service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for jaw, esophageal, left hip, left ankle, right ankle, voiding, and right hip disabilities have been denied as there is no current disability found at any time during or recent to the filing of the claim.,No VA examination was obtained for these conditions. The Board finds that the post-service treatment records do not provide evidence of a diagnosed condition.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are dismissed due to untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement (NOD). The appeal is also dismissed as there was no good cause shown for the late filing.
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.