The Veteran's service connection claim for a hernia disorder has been denied as there is no evidence linking the current condition to his active duty service.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) remains denied, as it does not meet the criteria for a 30% rating under VA regulations.
The deciding factor: There is no competent evidence linking the current hernia disorder to service.,The Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as it only covers less than 5% of his body and exposed areas, and he has not required systemic therapy such as corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs.
- Claimed conditions
- Hernia Disorder, Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB), Back Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19107347
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,797 · Granted: 20% (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 19107347.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The appeal to revise the effective date for a 50% disability rating for Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB) is dismissed because the July 2024 proposed rating decision was not an appealable determination.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial noncompensable rating for PFB is denied as the condition did not manifest through scarring or disfigurement during the appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection of chronic fatigue syndrome and vertigo are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The PFB claim is denied as the disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in obtaining medical records and for an additional medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's back disorder.
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