The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to address the veteran's claims for service-connected scars of the right and left scapulae, as well as any potential muscle injury related to his gunshot wounds. The RO should consider whether separate ratings are warranted for any muscle injuries found.
The deciding factor: The January 2003 VA examination report is inadequate for determining the nature and extent of current manifestations of the veteran's in-service gunshot wound(s) to the left and right scapulae, including any potential muscle damage. The examiner should address whether there are scars on the left and right scapulae, their depth, instability, pain, or limitation of arm function.
- Claimed conditions
- scapulae scars, muscle injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 28, 2006
- Citation
- 0612236
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 396 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0612236.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU is denied. The Veteran does not qualify for DEA benefits prior to his current effective date of March 25, 2019. SMC based on housebound criteria was granted as of that same date.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for basic eligibility to DEA benefits is denied. The Veteran did not meet the criteria at the time of his TDIU award and thus cannot qualify for DEA benefits prior to March 25, 2019.,SMC based on housebound criteria was granted as of March 25, 2019.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his gunshot wound to the right arm was granted, with a 30% rating being assigned. The previous noncompensable rating has been revised.
- Remanded (sent back)
The case is being remanded to clarify the severity and nature of the Veteran's appendectomy residuals, including scar and muscle injury. The appropriate ratings will be assigned based on these clarifications.
- Denied
The Veteran's left anterior chest and left upper arm disability, rated at 20 percent for a moderate injury to Muscle Group II (minor), is denied as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.