The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for initial compensable and greater than 10 percent ratings for his service-connected left fifth finger scar and head scars due to inadequate VA examinations. The AOJ is required to reschedule these examinations at a facility where the Veteran does not work.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the AOJ did not substantially comply with the March 2018 remand, which included scheduling VA scar and peripheral nerve examinations for the Veteran's service-connected conditions. The AOJ failed to reschedule the examinations as requested by the Veteran due to concerns about a conflict of interest.
- Claimed conditions
- left fifth finger scar, head scars
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19147162
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,592 · Granted: 19% (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 19147162.
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 scars of the left axilla cyst removal and left fifth finger are rated at 10 percent disabling, but do not meet the criteria for a higher rating as they do not have an area or areas of at least 12 square inches (77 sq. cm.) but less than 72 square inches (465 sq. cm.).
- Granted
The Veteran's headaches, head scars, left eye condition, and right eye condition are all found to be secondary to his service-connected traumatic brain injury (TBI). Service connection is granted for these conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for migraines, a bilateral leg disorder, nerve damage of the right hand, and scarring of the right wrist and head. The Board found that there was no credible evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including left and right knee disabilities, a left shoulder disability, a right wrist burn, head scars, as well as other conditions that were remanded.
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