The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected surgical scar, left shoulder, associated with status post left shoulder arthroscopic repair, was denied. The Board found that the current disability does not warrant a higher rating.,Service connection for the Veteran’s claimed left ankle condition was also denied as there is no evidence of any current disability related to this condition.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's surgical scar on his left shoulder, associated with status post left shoulder arthroscopic repair, does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under applicable diagnostic codes.,There is no evidence of a current left ankle disability. The Veteran denied any pain or increased sensitivity related to this condition and there are no records indicating functional impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- Surgical Scar, Left Shoulder, Left Ankle Condition, Hearing Loss, Right Ear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20006285
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,592 · Granted: 19% (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 20006285.
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 the Veteran's right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle conditions as secondary to his service-connected left hip replacement.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left ankle condition is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new and relevant evidence received, including VA examinations and opinions that tend to prove or disprove the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The cervical spine condition is denied as there was no in-service onset or chronicity.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD was dismissed. The Board granted service connection for hearing loss, right ear, but the claim is still pending as no rating has been assigned yet.
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