The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 10% disability rating for his left cheek scar is denied as the June 1995 decision assigning May 22, 1995 as the effective date was final and there is no legal basis for the Veteran's claim.
The deciding factor: The law is dispositive in this case, as the previous final RO rating decisions cannot be revised based on CUE or reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. The claim must be denied due to a lack of legal merit.
- Claimed conditions
- left cheek scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- August 11, 2015
- Citation
- 1534325
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 1534325.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted earlier effective dates of May 6, 2024 for the service connection of left cheek scar, PTSD, and headaches based on the Veteran's intent to file a claim.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial 60 percent rating for left cheek lichen simplex chronicus but denied a separate compensable rating for the left cheek scar.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left cheek lichen simplex chronicus and left cheek scar due to newly associated VA treatment records. The AOJ must consider all new evidence since the December 2019 Statement of the Case.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for anxiety disorder, diabetes, basal cell carcinoma of the left cheek, and a right ear hearing loss disability as secondary to service-connected conditions. Service connection was denied for residuals of a left submandibular abscess.
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