The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the current 10 percent disability rating for residuals of a left foot overuse injury with tendonitis, and seasonal rhinitis are appropriate. However, the appeal for a compensable disability rating for residuals of an excisional biopsy with residual stable scar on the left shoulder is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms from his left foot overuse injury and seasonal rhinitis were found to be within the scope of the current ratings assigned. The scar on the left trapezius was deemed noncompensable due to its characteristics, including lack of pain, inflammation, or functional limitation.
- Claimed conditions
- Left foot overuse injury with tendonitis, Seasonal rhinitis, Excisional biopsy with residual stable scar on the left trapezius
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19181222
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,092 · Granted: 42% (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 19181222.
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 Board has granted service connection for allergic rhinitis, finding that it first appeared during active military service and has continued to the present.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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