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Whole decision: Denied

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of recurrent staph infections are not manifested by scars on the head, face, or neck with one of the characteristics of disfigurement; deep and nonlinear scars that encompass an area or areas of at least 6 square inches but less than 12 square inches; superficial and nonlinear scars involving an area or areas of 144 square inches or greater; unstable or painful scars; scars with other disabling effects; an infection encompassing at least five percent, but less than 20 percent of the entire body, or at least five percent, but less than 20 percent, of exposed areas affected; or intermittent systemic therapy such as corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive drugs required for a total duration of less than six weeks during the past 12-month period. Therefore, his disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The deciding factor: The Veteran's scars do not meet the criteria specified in Diagnostic Codes 7800-7804 and 7806 for a compensable evaluation.

Claimed conditions
Residuals of recurrent staph infections
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
June 9, 2015
Citation
1524526

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 1524526.

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.

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