The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new one must be conducted to assess the severity of the service-connected right inguinal hernia repair.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not properly characterize the painfulness of the scar and the functional loss the Veteran experiences as a result of the right inguinal hernia repair during a flare-up, which is required by law.
- Claimed conditions
- Right inguinal hernia repair
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 19, 2021
- Citation
- A21016898
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 A21016898.
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 claim for a TDIU due to one service-connected disability, finding that he was not rendered unemployable based on only one of his service-connected disabilities. The decision is binding only with respect to this specific matter and does not establish VA policies or interpretations of general applicability.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in physical loss of use of one or both hands or feet, permanent impairment of vision in both eyes, severe burn injury precluding effective operation of an automobile, ALS, or ankylosis of one or both knees or one or both hips. Therefore, the Veteran does not meet the eligibility criteria for financial assistance to purchase a vehicle and adaptive equipment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's hypertension, right inguinal hernia repair, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAT) with tachycardia, and hypertensive heart disease with cardiomyopathy are all rated at their maximum levels. The Board has found no basis for granting higher ratings in any of these cases.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed as the Veteran and his representative withdrew all pending claims before the Board.
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