The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left elbow disorder, post-operative residuals of abdominal surgery, and an increased rating for head acne scarring. The Board found that there was no evidence to support these claims.,The Veteran's left elbow disorder is not related to his time in-service, as evidenced by pre-existing conditions noted prior to his entry into service. His post-operative residuals of abdominal surgery are already covered under a separate rating for the painful scar. The acne scarring has resolved and does not meet the criteria for an increased rating.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that any of the Veteran's claimed conditions were related to his time in-service, or met the criteria for an increased rating.
- Claimed conditions
- left elbow disorder, post-operative residuals of abdominal surgery, head acne scarring
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20059726
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 20059726.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the AOJ did not obtain all necessary opinions regarding whether the Veteran's symptoms are related to an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (MUCMI). The claims for service connection for fatigue, fibromyalgia, left elbow disorder, right elbow disorder, and sleep disorder are remanded for further development.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, shin splints of the right and left lower extremities, multiple sclerosis (MS), thoracolumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, left elbow disorder, left knee disorder, migraine headaches, and right knee disorder are dismissed.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's left elbow disorder is as likely as not related to his active-duty service and grants the claim for service connection.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection of a bilateral foot disorder is dismissed. The appeals for service connection of OSA, cervical spine disorder, left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, left elbow disorder, right elbow disorder, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, and right ankle disorder are remanded.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.