The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a new VA examination to determine the nature, status, etiology, and progression of the Veteran's claimed disability of residuals of inguinal hernia, including a keloid scar. The examiner must address whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran’s inguinal hernia, to include the scar, was aggravated during service or if there was a chronic worsening beyond its natural progression.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the remand directives from the March 2018 Board remand were not substantially complied with and thus another remand is necessary for a VA examination to determine the nature, status, etiology, and progression of the Veteran's claimed disability.
- Claimed conditions
- inguinal hernia, keloid scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19164368
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 19164368.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for an inguinal hernia and remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, a skin condition, suspicious nevus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for hernia, other than hiatal, specifically ventral, inguinal, and umbilical hernias, finding that the Veteran's obesity, caused by his service-connected disabilities, was a substantial factor in causing these hernias.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for lower back sprain, heart disease, cervical spine disorder, inguinal hernia, work stress (high anxiety), basal cell carcinoma of the nose, glaucoma, high blood pressure, digestive disorder, and hearing loss as there was no evidence of a current disability or an in-service event, injury, or illness related to these conditions.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
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