The Board remands the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for service-connected stricture of the esophagus prior to August 31, 2015, due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
The deciding factor: Remand is necessary because the Veteran has not been afforded a VA examination addressing the current nature and severity of his stricture of the esophagus, which is required for evaluation under applicable rating criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- stricture of the esophagus
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 16, 2025
- Citation
- A25044306
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for eosinophilic esophagitis, stricture of the esophagus and hiatal hernia.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the service connection claim for a gastrointestinal disability to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors and ensure adequate medical evidence is provided.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity sciatica associated with the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, but remanded claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
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