The Board remands the claims for service connection for left and right inguinal hernias, status post repair, and their respective scars due to a lack of an adequate etiological opinion.
The deciding factor: The case is remanded because there was no etiological opinion provided regarding the likelihood of a nexus between the Veteran's current diagnoses and his service, which is required for a complete rating decision.
- Claimed conditions
- left inguinal hernia, status post repair, right inguinal hernia, status post repair, right inguinal hernia repair scar, left inguinal hernia repair scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 10, 2024
- Citation
- A24065068
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 claims for increased ratings and service connection, with the exception of remanding certain issues.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for migraines was granted, effective July 1, 2022. The claims for service connection for various conditions were either denied or remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for digestive condition and sinusitis, but granted service connection for vitiligo of the penis and lipomas. The initial ratings for various disabilities were also denied.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for an anxiety disorder as secondary to tinnitus and denied the claims for service connection for TBI, sinusitis, higher ratings for left CTS, left inguinal hernia, and a scar associated with left inguinal hernia. The decision also remanded several other conditions for further development.
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.