The Board denied an initial disability rating higher than 10 percent for a painful laparoscopic abdominal scar and remanded the claim for service connection for ventral hernia secondary to the scar.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent, as there was only one tender scar and no indication of instability. The Board also found that further development was needed regarding the etiology of the ventral hernia.
- Claimed conditions
- painful laparoscopic abdominal scar, ventral hernia
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2025
- Citation
- A25017087
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,592 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25017087.
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 Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him in need of regular aid and attendance due to his back and associated radiculopathy disabilities, which require assistance with activities such as bathing, dressing, transferring, housekeeping, and meal preparation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for entitlement to compensable ratings for the service-connected spine and hernia disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is denied as there is no current disability meeting VA standards.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus and ventral hernia were granted service connection effective October 1, 2022.
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