The Veteran's initial compensable rating for PFB is denied, and his service connection claim for bilateral flatfoot/pes planus based on aggravation of a pre-existing condition is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the criteria for an initial compensable rating for PFB have not been met. The Veteran's bilateral flatfoot/pes planus claim was also remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if it was aggravated by service.
- Claimed conditions
- Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB), Bilateral Flatfoot/Pes Planus
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20000834
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,329 · 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 20000834.
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 to revise the effective date for a 50% disability rating for Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB) is dismissed because the July 2024 proposed rating decision was not an appealable determination.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial noncompensable rating for PFB is denied as the condition did not manifest through scarring or disfigurement during the appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection of chronic fatigue syndrome and vertigo are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The PFB claim is denied as the disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.
- Granted
Service connection for Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB) is granted. The appeal of a deferral of service connection for PFB is dismissed.
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