The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a left foot condition is denied.,The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his left shoulder strain with acromioclavicular joint separation is denied.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his second-degree atrioventricular block, Mobitz type 2 (heart condition) prior to November 16, 2017, is denied.,The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating in excess of 60 percent for his second-degree atrioventricular block, Mobitz type 2 (heart condition) since November 16, 2017, is denied.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his chest surgical scar, status post pacemaker insertion, is denied.,The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for pseudofolliculitis barbae is remanded.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence does not support a current diagnosis of a left foot condition and has not had one at any time during the pendency of the claim or recent to the filing of the claim.,The Veteran's shoulder disability, while painful, has not presented with limitation of motion of the arm from midway between the side and shoulder level, ankylosis, recurrent dislocation of the scapulohumeral joint with frequent episodes and guarding of all arm movements, or malunion of the humerus with marked deformity.,Prior to November 16, 2017, the Veteran presented with an atrioventricular block requiring the installation of a pacemaker with workload level greater than 7 METs presenting dyspnea, fatigue, angina, and dizziness, but no evidence of congestive heart failure, left ventricular dysfunction, or cardiac hypertrophy.,Since November 16, 2017, the Veteran has presented with an atrioventricular block requiring the installation of a pacemaker with workload greater than 3 METs but not greater than 5 METs resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, and dizziness, but no evidence of congestive heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction.,The Veteran has one painful linear scar measuring 5.5 cm in length on his chest from an operation to install a pacemaker as treatment for his heart condition.,Throughout the period on appeal, the Veteran has experienced pseudofolliculitis barbae affecting at least 5 percent but less than 20 percent of the entire body or exposed areas without systemic therapy such as corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive drugs.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Foot Condition, Left Shoulder Strain with Acromioclavicular Joint Separation, Pseudofolliculitis Barbae, Second-Degree Atrioventricular Block, Mobitz Type 2 (Heart Condition)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 6, 2019
- Citation
- 19108574
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,863 · Granted: 26% (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 19108574.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for TDIU was denied because the evidence did not show that he was unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Board has granted an initial 10 percent disability rating for service-connected pseudofolliculitis barbae, finding that the condition affects less than 40 percent of the face and neck.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased rating of right little finger disability and service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae were denied. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to missing private treatment records.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral foot conditions, finding that the Veteran experienced symptoms of right and left foot pain during service which have persisted since then.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.