The Board has granted service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae and remanded the claim of an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete examination.
The deciding factor: The February 2019 VA examination did not provide a nexus opinion regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, which is required for service connection. The Board found there was a pre-decisional duty to assist error and thus remanded the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- pseudofolliculitis barbae, an acquired psychiatric disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 16, 2024
- Citation
- A24047279
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 A24047279.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities require regular aid and attendance, resulting in the grant of special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance. The issue of entitlement to special monthly compensation at the housebound rate is moot.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sleep apnea and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to a failure to obtain relevant private medical records.
- Denied
The Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae is denied as there is no legal authority to assign an earlier effective date, and the RO has already assigned the earliest possible effective date for the award of service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected pseudofolliculitis barbae is rated at a 10 percent disability rating, the minimum allowed under VA regulations. The condition involves less than 20% of exposed areas but does not meet criteria for higher ratings.
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