The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 20% evaluation of his painful scars on the right buttock and lower/mid-thoracic areas, finding that the evidence did not establish that the scars were painful prior to June 29, 2021.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no clear evidence showing that the Veteran's scars had been painful prior to June 29, 2021, despite his assertions and those of his representative. The VA examinations did not indicate pain in the scars, and other medical records also showed healed, non-tender scars.
- Claimed conditions
- Painful Scars
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- February 6, 2026
- Citation
- A26011400
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 A26011400.
What this means for you
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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 hernia and painful scars as secondary to a hernia or residuals of a hernia or hernia repair due to inadequate VA examination opinions. The Veteran's lay statements regarding his symptoms since service are not adequately addressed in the current opinions.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for a rating of 30 percent for five or more painful scars has been granted.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD and his TDIU claim have both been remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education, training, and work history.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claim for sleep apnea is granted. The initial evaluations for painful scars of the left upper extremity, right lower extremity, chest, left anterior neck and left posterior neck are denied.
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