The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's service connection claim for a gastrointestinal disease, including GERD. The Veteran is seeking service connection for his gastrointestinal issues and secondary service connection due to PTSD. A VA examination is needed to determine if his current gastrointestinal issues are related to his in-service symptoms.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was an error in the duty to assist and requires a new VA examination to address whether the Veteran's gastrointestinal issues began during active service or are related to an incident of service, including his February 1967 treatment for stomach cramps, vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea after drinking contaminated water.
- Claimed conditions
- gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), stomach condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 4, 2023
- Citation
- A23034521
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 A23034521.
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 Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder disability, abdominal hernia, GERD, bilateral ankle disabilities, and bilateral foot disabilities. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during the appellant's period of active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for sinusitis and remanded the Veteran's claims for chronic lower back pain, right knee pain, left knee pain, neck pain, and GERD.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and denied the claims for right knee disability, erectile dysfunction, GERD, sleep apnea, and hypertension. The decision is remanded for further action on these issues.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and gastroesophageal reflux disease due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.
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