The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for gastrointestinal disorders, including as due to exposure to contaminated waters at Camp Lejeune and as secondary to a service-connected psychiatric disorder. The issues are inextricably intertwined with the claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
The deciding factor: The Board found that additional development is necessary, particularly regarding an addendum opinion from a VA clinician considering new evidence of atypical symptoms and potential medication aggravation.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastrointestinal disorders, GERD
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 24, 2024
- Citation
- 24032205
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 869 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 24032205.
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 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.
- Granted
The Board has granted an initial disability rating of 10 percent for GERD, effective May 31, 2019. The Veteran's GERD is currently manifested by infrequent episodes of epigastric distress and pyrosis.
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