The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions and incomplete VA treatment records. The claim for service connection of a gastrointestinal disorder will be reconsidered with new medical opinions and additional development.
The deciding factor: The previous medical opinions were not adequate as they did not consider the Veteran's lay statements or his exposure to chemicals during service.
- Claimed conditions
- gastrointestinal disorder, chronic diarrhea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 11, 2023
- Citation
- 23038207
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 23038207.
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 Veteran's claims for mental depression/anxiety, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and gastrointestinal disorder are remanded due to the need for VA examinations and an adequate medical opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new medical opinion is needed regarding whether the Veteran's gastrointestinal or esophageal disability was caused or aggravated by service or any related conditions.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for a compensable rating for chronic diarrhea, service connection for diverticulitis, and service connection for a respiratory system disability to include restrictive lung disease and sleep apnea syndrome have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tension headaches and chronic diarrhea, finding that the Veteran's conditions are at least as likely as not related to his active military service.
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