The Veteran's initial rating for right inguinal hernia was denied, and his service connection claims for left shoulder disability, lumbosacral strain, and left ankle disability were not granted. The claim for right thumb disability is pending remand.,Service connection for lumbosacral strain has been established based on continuity of symptomatology.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hernias do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating as they are not well supported by truss or belt, and operation was not noted as warranted.,There is no evidence showing that the left shoulder disability is related to service. The in-service complaint of shoulder pain resolved, and there is no continuity of symptoms after service.,The Veteran's lumbosacral strain has been established based on continuity of symptomatology since service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Inguinal Hernias, Left Shoulder Disability, Lumbosacral Strain, Left Ankle Disability, Right Thumb Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19178166
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,421 · Granted: 31% (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 19178166.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities are remanded. The claim for sleep disorder (claimed as sleep apnea) remains denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an effective date before April 1, 2018 for a 20% rating for left shoulder disability was denied. The appeal also resulted in the assignment of a 20% rating from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2018, and a TDIU granted from April 1, 2018 to September 3, 2025.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities, finding insufficient evidence to establish an in-service event or injury related to his shoulders. The Veteran's current shoulder conditions are not linked to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an extension of a temporary total rating for his left shoulder disability, finding that he did not require convalescence beyond August 31, 2011 following his surgery.
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