The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability evaluation for service-connected left ankle scars has been denied as the scars do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under DCs 7801 and 7802.,The effective date for the award of a 20 percent disability evaluation for service-connected lumbosacral strain is set at June 26, 2018, as it was more than one year after the Veteran filed his claim.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's scars do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under DCs 7801 and 7802 due to their small area and lack of underlying soft tissue damage.,There is no evidence indicating that the severity of the lumbosacral strain worsened within one year prior to the date of claim, June 26, 2018.
- Claimed conditions
- Painful left ankle scars, Service-connected lumbosacral strain, Bilateral knee patellofemoral pain syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 7, 2023
- Citation
- 23043853
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 23043853.
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
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- Denied
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- Granted
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