The Board has denied service connection for a low back disorder and GERD. The Veteran's low back disorder is not shown as chronic in service, arthritis did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period, and continuity of symptomatology is not established. Service connection was also denied for bilateral knee condition and polyarthritis.,The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral knee condition and polyarthritis due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether joint pain qualifies as an undiagnosed illness under 38 C.F.R. § 3.317.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence is against finding that the Veteran's low back disorder or GERD began during service, was otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease, and is not shown to be secondary to a service-connected disability.,There are insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's joint pain qualifies as an undiagnosed illness under 38 C.F.R. § 3.317.
- Claimed conditions
- Low Back Disorder (Arthritis), Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 3, 2021
- Citation
- 21072438
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 21072438.
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 acquired psychiatric disorder is granted a 70% rating, effective July 15, 2024. The Veteran's GERD remains at a 10% rating.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted at a 70 percent rating prior to July 29, 2024. The GERD rating remains at 30 percent disabled but no higher.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's IBS with GERD was granted an initial 60 percent rating. The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions and development.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected IBS and GERD, finding that the evidence does not support a higher rating under the applicable criteria.
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