The Veteran's appeal for a total temporary disability rating for an abdominal hernia based on surgical or other treatment necessitating convalescence is dismissed as the issue is not ripe for adjudication because he is not service-connected for this condition.,The Veteran’s TDIU prior to February 20, 2014 is granted. The Board finds that his service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: The issue of a temporary total rating for an abdominal hernia was not ripe for adjudication as the Veteran was not yet service-connected for this condition.,TDIU prior to February 20, 2014 is granted because the Veteran's combined disability rating meets the schedular criteria and his PTSD renders him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- lipoma of the neck, inguinal hernia
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20059387
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 20059387.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and initial disability ratings were denied. The Veteran was granted a rating of 40 percent, but no higher, for diabetic peripheral neuropathy affecting the right lower extremity and left lower extremity, and a rating of 20 percent, but no higher, for diabetic peripheral neuropathy affecting the left upper extremity (minor).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, an acquired psychiatric disorder, a low back condition, residuals of kidney cancer, bilateral flat feet, and bilateral knee conditions. The appeals are now pending again due to the need for additional examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability evaluation for his service-connected inguinal hernia, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under either old or new Diagnostic Code 7338.
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