The Board remands the claims for increased ratings for GERD and insomnia due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
The deciding factor: The May 2023 VA examination is inadequate as it did not address the ameliorative effects of medications on the severity of the Veteran's GERD symptoms, and there may be outstanding treatment records pertaining to the Veteran's service-connected insomnia that have not been obtained by VA.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Insomnia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 16, 2025
- Citation
- A25035313
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.
- Granted
The Board granted a 10 percent evaluation for the Veteran's GERD, finding that his condition is productive of daily medications to control dysphagia and is otherwise asymptomatic.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for insomnia, fatigue, gallstones, varicose veins, anemia, colitis, and PTSD due to a lack of evidence supporting the claims.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) but denied service connection for PTSD and a higher rating for the unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder/major depressive disorder/insomnia.
- Denied
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection and increased evaluations for GERD, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and TBI.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.