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Remanded (sent back)

The Board remands the claims for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of PTSD and to obtain an opinion regarding the etiology of GERD, including whether it is caused or aggravated by PTSD, IBS, or TERA exposure.

The deciding factor: The December 2021 symptom checklist should have warranted a new VA examination in order to assess the Veteran's symptomatology for PTSD, and not obtaining an opinion regarding secondary service connection for GERD constitutes a pre-decisional duty to assist error. Additionally, given the passage of the PACT Act during the course of the appeal, a TERA opinion should also be provided.

Claimed conditions
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
June 11, 2025
Citation
A25051148

Veterans Law Judge

MATTHEW W. BLACKWELDER

Decisions by this judge: 2,329 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A25051148.

What this means for you

A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.

What you can do next

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