The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various scars and hypertension. The case is remanded to consider whether an extraschedular rating is warranted, as well as to address the issue of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to July 18, 2023.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims have been denied due to lack of evidence meeting the criteria for increased ratings under the applicable VA rating schedule. The case is remanded to consider whether an extraschedular rating is warranted and to address the issue of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to July 18, 2023.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, sternal wound and debridement scar with loss of tissue, right lower leg scar, left wrist scar, scars pectoralis muscle chest wall, left lower leg scar scars
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 19, 2024
- Citation
- 24016866
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 24016866.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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