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Dismissed

The Board dismissed service connection claims for bruxism, esophagitis, hiatal hernia and GERD, IBS, and denied a right elbow disability claim. The claim for hemorrhoids was remanded.

The deciding factor: There is no evidence of record that the Veteran has a right elbow disability which is attributable to his active duty service or that his left finger scar meets the measurement necessary to warrant a compensable rating. For hemorrhoids, an examination and opinion are needed due to in-service toxic exposure and possible link to service-connected gastrointestinal conditions.

Claimed conditions
bruxism, esophagitis (claimed as esophageal stricture), hiatal hernia and gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), right elbow disability, left fourth digit scar post incision and drain (minor), hemorrhoids
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
February 26, 2025
Citation
A25017187

Veterans Law Judge

Ardie A. Bland

Decisions by this judge: 828 · Granted: 42% (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 A25017187.

What this means for you

A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.

What you can do next

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