The Board remands the claim for service connection for IBS to ensure a proper VA opinion is obtained regarding its direct and secondary causes, including aggravation by service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: A remand is necessary due to an inadequate July 2020 VA examination that did not address all theories of entitlement to service connection, specifically causation and aggravation.
- Claimed conditions
- gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) to include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 4, 2025
- Citation
- 25007497
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 699 · Granted: 12% (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 25007497.
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.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's service connection for tinnitus was granted, and an initial disability rating of 30 percent, but no higher, for GERD to include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) prior to September 27, 2023, was also granted.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a headache disability and an increased rating of 30 percent, but no higher, for GERD with IBS.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's migraine headaches and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) to include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have been granted initial ratings of 30 percent, effective February 15, 2015.,However, the Veteran's service connection for PTSD remains pending as it was not addressed in previous decisions.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.