The Veteran's claims for increased ratings are remanded due to a failure to fully develop the scope of his service-connected disabilities and apply the correct criteria for skin conditions.
The deciding factor: The AOJ failed to address separate ratings for different parts of the Veteran's body affected by his PFB, eczema, and scarring.
- Claimed conditions
- PFB (pseudofolliculitis barbae), Eczema, Left lower extremity scarring due to a skin condition, Right lower extremity scarring due to a skin condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 1, 2026
- Citation
- A26029863
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 A26029863.
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 claims for increased ratings on multiple service-connected conditions have been denied as the necessary VA examinations were missed without good cause.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD, along with other service-connected conditions such as hearing loss and tinnitus, has resulted in total occupational and social impairment. The Board granted a 100 percent disability rating for PTSD and also granted TDIU.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for acne and a spine disability, finding that there was no current evidence of these conditions during or contemporary to the appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for hypertension, GERD, CAD, and eczema due to duty-to-assist errors. The AOJ will obtain private medical records from various providers to fulfill VA's duty to assist.
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