The Board has determined that an effective date prior to April 4, 2011 for a 30 percent evaluation for Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB) is denied as the Veteran did not receive notice of the initial grant of service connection in December 2001 and could not have appealed it due to his incarceration at that time.
The deciding factor: The Veteran was incarcerated by the State of Washington, preventing him from receiving the December 2001 rating decision and appealing it. The effective date is set as April 4, 2011, when he submitted a claim for an increased evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- May 8, 2015
- Citation
- 1519919
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 1519919.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal to revise the effective date for a 50% disability rating for Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB) is dismissed because the July 2024 proposed rating decision was not an appealable determination.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial noncompensable rating for PFB is denied as the condition did not manifest through scarring or disfigurement during the appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection of chronic fatigue syndrome and vertigo are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The PFB claim is denied as the disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.
- Granted
Service connection for Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB) is granted. The appeal of a deferral of service connection for PFB is dismissed.
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