The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for service-connected irritable bowel syndrome but granted service connection for impairment of sphincter control as secondary to the service-connected irritable bowel syndrome.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed that the Veteran's impairment of sphincter control was at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected irritable bowel syndrome, warranting a grant of service connection on a secondary basis.
- Claimed conditions
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Impairment of Sphincter Control
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- July 16, 2025
- Citation
- 25009287
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,421 · Granted: 31% (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 25009287.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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 a lack of rationale in the VA examiner's opinion and an inconsistency between the examination report and nexus opinion.
- Granted
The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome is granted a rating of 30 percent, the maximum schedular rating under Diagnostic Code 7319. Service connection for migraine headaches as secondary to service connected tinnitus and PTSD is also granted.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of May 19, 2024, for a separate 10 percent rating for GERD. The decision states that prior to this date, ratings for GERD and Irritable Bowel Syndrome could not be combined due to VA regulations at the time.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to August 1, 2025, for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities. The evidence did not show that he was precluded from employment solely due to his service-connected conditions.
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