The Veteran's stomach disability, including GERD and lactose intolerance, is being remanded for further examination to determine if it is related to service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner needs to review the entire claims file, including the Veteran's contentions of in-service onset and continued symptomatology, to provide a nexus opinion regarding his stomach disability.
- Claimed conditions
- stomach disability, GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), abdominal aortic aneurysm, lactose intolerance
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 15, 2023
- Citation
- 23061299
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 23061299.
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.
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The Board has remanded the claims for shin splints, right knee disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), stomach disability, and left ear hearing loss due to errors in providing notice of the right to a hearing.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims for service connection, including sinusitis, sleep apnea, a stomach disability, left hand carpal tunnel syndrome, right hand carpal tunnel syndrome, and a back disability. The appeals are pending further examination or evidence.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is dismissed as moot due to her already receiving the maximum allowable benefits.,Earlier effective dates are denied for flexion impairment of the left knee, GERD, and bilateral pes planus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to a duty to assist error. The Board finds that the Veteran may have been exposed to toxic substances during his service, including RF radiation and asbestos. However, VA did not obtain an opinion regarding the relationship between these exposures and the claimed conditions.
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