The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection of gastroesophageal reflux disease and hypertension, as well as his claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to February 4, 2007. The reasons are that VA examiners did not consider or address whether the Veteran’s GERD is proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected alcohol abuse disorder and/or due to his two episodes of viral gastroenteritis during service, and whether his hypertension is related to Agent Orange exposure.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the VA examiners' opinions were inadequate as they did not consider all relevant factors for the claims.
- Claimed conditions
- gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 27, 2021
- Citation
- 21025221
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 21025221.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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