The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for a postoperative surgical scar associated with respiratory cancer is remanded due to the passage of time since his last examination and new allegations of worsening symptoms.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has alleged that his surgical scar is painful, radiates discomfort to his lung, and causes numbness and loss of sensation in his chest. The claimant's assertions necessitate a reassessment of his current level of impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- Postoperative surgical scar associated with respiratory cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19104144
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,669 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19104144.
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
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