The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of his service-connected other specified trauma and stressor related disorder is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection of GERD is remanded as the evidence is insufficient to determine if it arose during service or is otherwise related to service.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to lack of specific audiometric test scores in his most recent VA examination.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded as the evidence is insufficient to determine if his service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence does not support a higher rating for the Veteran's other specified trauma and stressor related disorder.,There are insufficient medical records to establish a direct relationship between the Veteran's GERD and his service, necessitating further examination and evaluation.,The VA examiner was unable to provide specific audiometric test scores due to a lack of agreement between tested Pure Tone Averages (PTA) and Speech Reception Thresholds (SRT), requiring another VA examination.,There is insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, necessitating clarification of his hearing loss findings.
- Claimed conditions
- Other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 22, 2021
- Citation
- A21020447
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 A21020447.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Dupuytren's contracture of the left hand, right hand, and GERD is remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions and failure to consider toxic exposure risk activities during service.
- Denied
The Veteran's GERD is currently rated at 10 percent disabling, but the Board found that his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), finding that both conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lower back condition and sinusitis, respectively.
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