The veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than April 14, 2004, for the grants of service connection for postoperative scars on the right and left flanks were denied as there was no prior informal or formal claim filed within one year of the initial filing.
The deciding factor: There was no prior informal or formal claim filed within one year of the April 14, 2004, submission of medical records demonstrating treatment related to scars.
- Claimed conditions
- postoperative scars
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2008
- Citation
- 0839907
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 0839907.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several claims related to the Veteran's left knee disability and postoperative scars, including entitlement to higher ratings and an earlier effective date for TDIU. The appeal is also dismissed due to the grant of CUE in a prior rating decision.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected left knee disability.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected lumbar strain, including DDD and spondylosis at multiple levels, was granted with various schedular ratings from October 1, 2002 to August 1, 2010. The case also addressed a temporary total disability rating based on surgical treatment.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected residuals of a laceration injury to the left palm and little finger with postoperative scars are rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available under VA's Rating Schedule.
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