The Veteran's GERD with hiatal hernia is granted service connection due to herbicide exposure during active duty. Service connection for a kidney disability is denied as there is no evidence of current diagnosis.
The deciding factor: There is no current diagnosed kidney disability in the record, and the STRs are silent for any complaints or diagnoses related to kidney issues.
- Claimed conditions
- GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) with hiatal hernia, Kidney disability
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 19, 2026
- Citation
- A26015348
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 A26015348.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
Service connection for ED was granted with an effective date of May 17, 2021.,Service connection for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity was denied prior to January 20, 2022.,Service connection for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity was granted with an effective date of January 5, 2024.,Service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus were not granted as secondary to service-connected disabilities.,Service connection for kidney disability was denied.,Service connection for OSA was granted.,Service connection for PTSD was denied.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, other than PTSD, to include MDD and anxiety was granted.
- Granted
Service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea is granted.,The claims for service connection for Diabetes Mellitus type 2 and Kidney disability are remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding VA's obligation to obtain relevant records from the Social Security Administration.
- Partly granted
The Board granted the petitions to readjudicate claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disability, while denying service connection for lower back, kidney, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and sleep apnea.
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