The Veteran's initial rating for service-connected scars was granted. The Board found a 10 percent rating is warranted under DC 7804, as one of the Veteran’s scars is painful. However, his low back condition secondary to his service-connected right foot scars remains in dispute and requires further examination.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner failed to provide an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's low back condition is proximately caused or aggravated by his service-connected right foot scars.
- Claimed conditions
- scars, low back condition
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 16, 2019
- Citation
- 19129678
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 Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and other benefits, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or additional compensation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of a low back condition to obtain an adequate medical opinion, as the presumption of soundness has not been rebutted.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a low back condition, finding that the Veteran's current disability had its clinical onset during his active duty service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hemorrhoids, scars, low back disability, left ankle disability, left and right shoulder disabilities, and left and right hip disabilities as the evidence did not show that the Veteran had these conditions or related symptoms during the appeal period.
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