Scars decisions — 2003

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and consideration of the initial disability evaluations for her thyroid cancer residuals and left thumb laceration.

The Board has dismissed the veteran's appeal on his claim for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease, including due to an undiagnosed illness. The initial compensable rating claim for a scar residual of a left lateral compartment fasciotomy is denied as the condition does not meet the criteria for a 10% rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The veteran's service-connected histoplasmosis and scar are currently evaluated as noncompensable. The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations, finding that his conditions do not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has granted a 30 percent evaluation for the retained foreign body in the right lower trunk, effective from March 1999. The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his shell fragment wound scars to the left inner thigh remains pending.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for evaluations and service connection, finding that the evidence does not support a higher evaluation or service connection for his conditions.

The Board has determined that further development and clarification are needed to address the veteran's claims for PTSD, personality disorder, and upper lip scar. The appeal is being REMANDED to obtain verification of stressors related to PTSD and personal assaults, as well as a clarifying medical opinion regarding the diagnoses and etiology of current psychiatric conditions.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability were denied due to the RO finding that he was not unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities. The Board also found that he could not have been continuously rated as totally disabled for a period of ten years immediately preceding death.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a new examination and consideration of the revised criteria for scar ratings.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his gunshot wound residuals and degenerative changes of the hip joint, finding that the current evaluations adequately reflected the severity of his disabilities.

The veteran seeks an earlier effective date for the grant of a 10 percent evaluation for his service-connected scar, residuals of a fragment wound of the left thigh. The RO has not yet addressed this issue and is instructed to do so.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have a low back disability or a right thumb disability, with graft site scar. The claim for service connection for PTSD and residuals of a head injury will be addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected appendectomy scar, currently evaluated as 0 percent disabling.

The Board has granted a separate 10 percent rating for right knee arthritis, and increased the rating for the veteran's left thigh disability to 40 percent.

The Board has granted a separate 10 percent rating for the scar resulting from the veteran's thoracotomy in May 1977, and denied an increased rating for his service-connected bronchiectasis.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and ensuring compliance with the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 (VCAA).

The Board found no evidence of active malaria, inactive scars on the left lateral thigh and leg, or bilateral hearing loss warranting a compensable evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for right shoulder and left knee disabilities, but granted service connection and assigned 10 percent evaluations each for gastroesophageal reflux disease with hiatal hernia, musculoskeletal low back pain, postoperative scar on the proximal aspect of the left foot, and a left foot disability (classified as status post arthroplasty with pin fixation of the 2nd digit, osteotomy of the 2nd metatarsal, and bunionectomy).

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for his traumatic scar of the left buttock.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for postoperative left forehead scarring is being remanded due to the need for further development and consideration of both former and revised applicable criteria.

The Board has determined that the claims for increased evaluations of keloid scars on the left hand and wrist, as well as residuals of a fourth metacarpal fracture of the left hand, have been denied.