Scars decisions — 2002

The Board granted an increased rating from 20 percent to 30 percent for partial amputations of the ring and little fingers of the right hand, effective May 8, 1999. The veteran's arthritis of the first carpometacarpal joint of the right hand is rated at 20 percent, while his arthritis of the right wrist remains at 10 percent.

The Board found no evidence to support an increased rating for the appendectomy scar and denied service connection for gout and hypertension. The appellant's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable evaluation for his scalp scar and service connection for PTSD, finding no evidence of a current diagnosis of PTSD or verified in-service stressors.

The Board granted a 30 percent disability rating for the veteran's service-connected disfiguring scar as a residual of surgical resection of the thymus, finding that it was manifested by severe disfigurement and objective evidence of tenderness.

The veteran's service connection claim for scars of the nose, forehead, and right arm is granted as these conditions are considered to be directly related to his military service.

The veteran's shell fragment wound scar of the left cheek and jaw is currently rated at 30 percent, while his residuals of a shell fragment wound of the neck are also rated at 10 percent. The Board has found that these ratings adequately reflect the severity of the veteran's disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for scheduling a 'Travel Board' hearing. The appeal is currently in process and no effective date or rating assigned has been determined yet.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus and denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for his right eye injury and a rating in excess of 10 percent for his hypertrophic gastritis.

The veteran's coronary artery bypass surgery did not result in additional disabilities such as heart disability, hernia, or diabetes mellitus. The surgeries and subsequent infections were necessary consequences of the treatment.

The veteran's thoracotomy scar is not compensable, and there is no current evidence of injuries to the rectus abdominis and external oblique muscles. The October 1945 rating decision did not involve clear and unmistakable error in failing to service-connect these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for her laparotomy, appendectomy, and ovarian cyst biopsy scar and temporomandibular joint syndrome. The veteran's laparotomy scar is currently rated at 10 percent disabling, while her temporomandibular joint syndrome has been assigned a 10 percent rating since June 24, 1993.

The Board denied compensable ratings for a scarred left eardrum and residuals of otitis media, finding that the evidence did not warrant such evaluations.

The VA has denied the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his scar of the macula in the right eye, diplopia, and exophthalmos as it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The veteran's appeals for higher ratings for traumatic arthritis of the left hip and residuals of lacerations of the great, second, and third toes of the left foot have been denied. The current ratings are considered appropriate based on the evidence.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disorder, claimed as due to herbicide exposure during service, was denied by the RO.

The Board denied the veteran's claim seeking recognition as a former POW due to his internment in Switzerland, finding that he was not detained by an enemy government and thus did not meet the criteria for POW status.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for chemical burns of the scalp, miscarriage, back pain, chronic vaginal infections, uterine fibroids, and PTSD. The evidence submitted since June 1992 does not provide new or material information to support these claims.

The veteran's lipoma excision and subsequent surgeries resulted in a tender scar, rib deformities, intercostal neuritis, and thoracic strain.,An evaluation of 20 percent is assigned for each condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected residuals, laceration of the right lower lip and multiple scars on the side of the face and chin, finding that the disability did not warrant a rating higher than 30 percent.