The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to January 14, 2015 for service connection for scarring, left lower extremity, as secondary to service-connected disability of hammertoes, left foot, post-operative is denied. The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for the same condition is remanded due to lack of effective date determination.
The deciding factor: The RO received the Veteran’s informal claim on January 14, 2015, which was interpreted as an attempt to seek service connection for previously non-service-connected lower extremity scarring. The RO found that this claim did not arise until after the initial grant of service connection in June 2001.
- Claimed conditions
- scarring, left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19192701
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 19192701.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for scarring was dismissed due to a procedural error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hepatitis C and related conditions as they are inextricably intertwined.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted, while claims for high blood pressure, prostate condition, left lower extremity, hepatitis C, right lower extremity, and PTSD were denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, back disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, and scarring are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.
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