The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal condition, to include GERD as secondary to his service-connected PTSD with alcohol use disorder. The evidence is in approximate balance concerning whether the Veteran's gastrointestinal condition is caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.
The deciding factor: The medical opinion from Dr. M.S. supports that the Veteran's gastrointestinal condition is at least as likely as not related to his service-connected PTSD, while the VA examiners provided negative nexus opinions based on lack of evidence in STRs and other factors.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Barrett's esophagus, Diverticulitis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 4, 2026
- Citation
- A26019398
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 A26019398.
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.
- 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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