The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a different VA examiner to address the nature and etiology of the Veteran's gastroesophageal disorder, as well as whether it is at least as likely as not that his service-connected back and knee disabilities caused or aggravated his GERD.
The deciding factor: The Board found the previous opinions inadequate due to their failure to consider the medications prescribed for the service-connected conditions and their potential impact on the Veteran's gastroesophageal disorder. The case is remanded to obtain a new opinion addressing these factors.
- Claimed conditions
- gastroesophageal disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 25, 2023
- Citation
- 23004916
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 23004916.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a gastroesophageal disorder to include GERD and hiatal hernia due to an inadequate medical opinion that did not address the Veteran's contention of aggravation by service-connected conditions.
- Partly granted
The veteran was granted a 70% rating for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety and major depressive disorders. All other issues were remanded for further review.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claim for service connection for asthma was granted. The claim for a gastroesophageal disorder, including acid reflux and GERD, was remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bladder incontinence, erectile dysfunction, gastroesophageal disorder, hypothyroidism, and vertigo due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions began during or were related to active military service.
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