The Board granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease, a right shoulder disability (major condition), and obstructive sleep apnea. The claims for left heel spur, left foot disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy were denied. A claim for a right foot disability was remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current GERD, right shoulder disability, and OSA are related to or began during his active-duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Left foot disability (static foot deformity and/or painful motion), Left heel spur, Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), Radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, to include as secondary to left heel spur and/or service-connected lumbar spine disability, Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, to include as secondary to service-connected right heel spur and/or lumbar spine disability, Right foot disability (static foot deformity and/or painful motion), to include as secondary to service-connected right heel spur, Right shoulder disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 6, 2025
- Citation
- A25041088
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,456 · Granted: 23% (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 A25041088.
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 Veteran's appeal for service connection for Dupuytren's contracture of the left hand, right hand, and GERD is remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions and failure to consider toxic exposure risk activities during service.
- Denied
The Veteran's GERD is currently rated at 10 percent disabling, but the Board found that his symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), finding that both conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lower back condition and sinusitis, respectively.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for bladder cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
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