The Board found that there was no evidence of a pre-existing scar on the Veteran's forehead at the time of his enlistment, and thus could not establish service connection for it. The VA examiner concluded that the current scar is less likely than not incurred or caused by an in-service injury.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the current scar is less likely due to a service-related injury based on the Veteran's own assertions and the lack of supporting evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- scar on the forehead
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 20, 2018
- Citation
- 1823602
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1823602.
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: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right cervical radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability, but denied service connection for a scar on the forehead and remanded issues related to left hip, right hip, and foot disabilities.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran is currently assigned a 20 percent rating for painful scars, and the Board finds that this rating is not higher than what is warranted based on the evidence of record.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete service treatment records and other issues.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by his service-connected disabilities, specifically his use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat these conditions.
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