Scars decisions — 2005

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations and an earlier effective date for service connection were denied. The Board found that the earliest possible effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD is August 22, 1997.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA examination reports and medical records.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, entitlement to DIC benefits, and entitlement to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits. The Board found that there was no evidence showing a direct link between the veteran's service-connected gunshot wound scar and his death from COPD.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, hearing loss, tinnitus, and a residual scar from a right eyebrow laceration. The appellant's claims were not supported by sufficient evidence to establish a link between these conditions and his military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for Bell's palsy and initial evaluations in excess of 10 percent for localized paresthesias as a residual of removal of a left cheek parotid gland and masseter muscle tumor, and postoperative left cheek scar with tissue loss have been denied. The evidence does not support the presence of current disabilities related to these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for a chin scar and awarded a 100 percent rating for PTSD, effective from the date of receipt of the claim.

The Board granted an initial disability rating of 20 percent for degenerative disc disease with spondylosis of the lumbar spine and found that a compensable initial evaluation was not warranted for lipoma scars.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected lateral scar of the right distal thigh and osteomyelitis of the right femur is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for a scar on the right tibia and residuals of a fracture of the right tibia with osteochondroma were denied. The scars are tender to palpation, adherent to the right tibia, and no more than 37.5 square centimeters in area. The fractures result in an osteochondroma and right ankle pain with limited motion.

The VA determined that the veteran's laceration scar of the left knee does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for postoperative residuals of a left orchiectomy and determined that the veteran's bilateral inguinal herniorrhaphies do not warrant a compensable rating.

The VA determined that the veteran's scars, resulting from multiple fragment wounds sustained during service, do not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under applicable rating criteria.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed conditions were not incurred or aggravated by service, and denied his claims for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran does not have current renal calculi or left thumb scar disabilities and denied service connection for these conditions.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical opinions to determine if he has additional disability as a result of VA's failure to promptly treat his complaints in March 1994.

The veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for compensation for his service-connected bilateral healed chorioretinal scars, currently rated at 10 percent. The RO has determined that the payment start date was September 1, 2001, but he disagrees and wants it to be based on when he received military compensation until August 1958.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder, hemorrhoids, headaches, and PTSD. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and scar tissue (adhesions) of the peritoneum, finding no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and adjudication of issues related to service connection, including a knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and hypertension.

The veteran's claim is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and information regarding employment impact.