The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), diverticulitis, and diverticulosis due to a lack of discussion regarding the Veteran's report that he initially began experiencing symptoms shortly after service in early 1993. The nature of these conditions as functional or structural gastrointestinal disorders must also be clarified.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient discussion of the Veteran's lay statements regarding the onset of his symptoms shortly after service and the need to clarify whether diverticulitis and diverticulosis are structural gastrointestinal diseases, which would preclude consideration as a MUCMI under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- GERD, diverticulitis, diverticulosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 19, 2022
- Citation
- 22070199
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 22070199.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a colon condition, including as caused by herbicide agent exposure or secondary to his service-connected disabilities, was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection on any basis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA opinion and a need for further examination.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD is granted, and the appeal to restore a 40% rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc other than IVDS, central canal stenosis, and scoliosis prior to June 1, 2024 is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error, specifically failing to obtain an opinion on whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to his accidental drowning death.
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