Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Denied

The Board denied service connection for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burns on the left hand, left arm, right hip, and right arm due to lack of credible evidence supporting the claim.

The deciding factor: The Veteran's reports regarding the location and nature of his injuries were internally inconsistent and contradicted by contemporaneous medical records, leading to a finding that his testimony was not credible.

Claimed conditions
1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burns on the left hand, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burns on the left arm, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burns on the right hip, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burns on the right arm
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
October 15, 2020
Citation
20067134

Veterans Law Judge

LAURA E. COLLINS

Decisions by this judge: 715 · Granted: 43% (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 20067134.

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.

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.