The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for upper right lip scar, anterior/medial right knee scar, and left shoulder scars. The issues of entitlement to increased ratings for left lower extremity radiculopathy and left shoulder injury residuals were remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish a direct link between the Veteran's claimed disabilities and his service or any service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Anterior/medial right knee scar, Left shoulder scar, Upper right lip scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19165344
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,820 · 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 19165344.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's GERD has been granted a 30 percent rating, but not higher. The left shoulder scar remains at a 10 percent rating.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection and ratings related to various conditions has been dismissed. The issues of entitlement to service connection for right knee, left knee, and right foot disabilities have been remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a TDIU from April 20, 2009 to February 10, 2015 due to his service-connected disabilities. However, the TDIU from February 11, 2015 is denied as he is already in receipt of a combined schedular rating of 100 percent.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his postoperative residuals of left shoulder dislocation and for a compensable rating for his left shoulder scar, finding that the evidence did not support ratings in excess of 20 percent or compensation.
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.