The Board found no convincing evidence linking the veteran's current scars of the back to injuries sustained in service, and denied his claim for service connection.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence showing a link between the veteran's current scars and any injury or event during service.
- Claimed conditions
- scars of the back
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 4, 2002
- Citation
- 0215633
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0215633.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for scars of the back and forearms, as well as a bilateral foot disability, were granted. The claim for a bilateral foot disability was remanded due to insufficient evidence.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's skin disability and hypertension are related to his service-connected depressive disorder.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and other disabilities render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU rating.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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