The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions are inadequate for the GERD, Mallory-Weiss tear of the esophagus, and back disability claims. The Veteran's service records do not provide sufficient evidence to establish a direct relationship between his current conditions and his military service or any exposure to Camp Lejeune water. Therefore, these cases are being remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not adequately address the Veteran's in-service complaints of frequent indigestion and heartburn, nor did they consider the Veteran's contention that he was exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Mallory-Weiss tear of the esophagus, Back disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 5, 2022
- Citation
- 22000389
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,500 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 22000389.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a back disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a nexus between his current condition and active duty service.
- 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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