The Board remands the claim for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any disability characterized by heartburn with acid reflux, regurgitation of stomach contents into throat, nausea, and vomiting.
The deciding factor: The January 2023 VA examiner's opinion was inadequate as it failed to address aggravation or its association with presumed toxic exposure under the PACT Act.
- Claimed conditions
- heartburn with acid reflux, regurgitation of stomach contents into throat, nausea and vomiting, delayed gastric emptying, esophageal dysmotility
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 23, 2024
- Citation
- A24068142
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 the Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability claimed as nausea and vomiting, finding that her symptoms are associated with her service-connected post-traumatic headaches.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for esophageal dysmotility due to inadequate VA medical opinion.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a psychiatric disability, diagnosed as mood disorder due to a general medical condition and unspecified anxiety disorder, which was found to be secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hepatitis C. The issues related to compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for ventral hernia repair with mesh and for hypertension, nausea and vomiting, blurred vision, and renal failure were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter of entitlement to service connection for a chronic respiratory disorder due to inadequate VA opinions and failure to substantially comply with previous remand instructions.
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