The Board has remanded the claims for further development and readjudication due to inconsistencies in the evidence regarding the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not consider the Veteran’s reports of flare-ups and pain, which may affect the severity assessments of his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Right arm shell fragment wound, Right chest shell fragment wound, Residuals of a superficial wound to the left chest, Left shoulder shell fragment wound, Residual scar from a shell fragment wound, upper right abdomen
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 27, 2018
- Citation
- 18160365
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 18160365.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a separate rating for his right chest shell fragment wound, muscle group I, minor arm was denied. The Board found that the symptoms were not distinct from those of muscle group II and concluded that assigning a separate rating would constitute impermissible pyramiding.,For the appeal period from April 3, 2012, the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board granted his claim for TDIU.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's initial compensable rating for a scar on the left upper arm/shoulder has been denied, and his claim for an increased rating of residuals from a shell fragment wound to the left shoulder is remanded.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Veteran also failed to meet the requirements for TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for residuals of a right fibula fracture, left hand shell fragment wound, and right chest shell fragment wound have been denied as there is no evidence of any compensable disability.,There are no scars or other service-connected conditions affecting the Veteran's hands or chest that warrant separate evaluations. The Veteran has full range of motion in all joints and normal neurological examination results.,The Veteran is currently unemployed, but this does not affect his entitlement to a TDIU as there is no indication of any impairment due to service-connected disabilities.
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