The Board has denied an effective date prior to October 5, 2021 for the award of service connection for GERD. The claims of service connection for recurrent sinus disability, thoracic spine disability, and lumbar spine disability are remanded.
The deciding factor: The VA Form 21-526EZ was received by VA on October 5, 2021, which is the date considered as the effective date for the award of service connection for GERD. The Board found that the Veteran's GERD is related to his service-connected right and left knee patellofemoral syndrome.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Sinusitis, T6 and T7 compression fracture residuals of thoracic spine, Scoliosis of lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 17, 2026
- Citation
- A26014104
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 A26014104.
What this means for you
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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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