The Veteran's service-connected left inguinal hernia repair and associated scar have worsened since his last VA examination, necessitating a new evaluation to determine appropriate ratings.
The deciding factor: The Veteran reported worsening symptoms that suggest a material change in the severity of his conditions since his last VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- left inguinal hernia repair, scar status post left inguinal hernia repair
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20007204
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,902 · Granted: 11% (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 20007204.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, with some issues being remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for left ankle sprain but denied service connection for left inguinal hernia repair, right foot plantar fasciitis, left foot plantar fasciitis, lateral & medial epicondylitis of right elbow, and seborrheic dermatitis.
- Denied
The Board denied earlier effective dates for increased ratings and service connection decisions based on the lack of a claim prior to the assigned effective dates.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding various disability ratings and compensation claims, including for bilateral pes planus, knee disabilities, low back issues, hypertension, hand disabilities, prostatitis, and inguinal hernia repair. The Board dismissed these appeals as a result.
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