The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his scars on the right wrist and left heel, finding that he was already receiving the maximum available rating under both old and new VA criteria.
The deciding factor: The RO increased the evaluation of the right wrist scar to 10 percent effective September 1, 2000. The veteran is now receiving the highest possible evaluation for a superficial scar other than those of the head, face, or neck. There is no limitation of motion or soft tissue damage that would warrant a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- scar of the right wrist, scar on the left heel
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 28, 2004
- Citation
- 0420519
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 0420519.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection and higher initial ratings for various conditions, including PTSD, shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, migraine headaches, thoracic strain, cervical strain, allergic rhinitis, hemorrhoids, right hand index finger residuals, right wrist residuals, and peripheral neurological involvement.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development to assess the Veteran's employability prior to May 7, 2019, considering his service-connected disabilities and past limitations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for coronary artery disease has been granted, with the effective date set at September 16, 2015.,Service connection for skin cancer is granted based on herbicide exposure during active service.,Service connection for scars secondary to service-connected skin cancer is also granted.,Increased ratings for a cervical spine strain are remanded for further examination and rating determination.,The Veteran's current 20 percent rating for the period following May 7, 2018, remains unchanged.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for SMC based on loss of use of the right hand due to service-connected conditions was denied as his disability does not meet the definition of 'loss of use' as defined by VA.
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