Scars decisions — 2007

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and his initial compensable evaluation claim was also denied. The decision did not address the issue of exposure to herbicide agents (Agent Orange).

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for scars residual to a shell fragment wound of the left shoulder is denied. The claims for earlier effective dates for PTSD and addition of spouse as dependent are also denied.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection were denied. The RO found that the right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome did not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent, numbness of the left cheek was not compensable, and the scar on the left cheek did not meet criteria for a compensable rating.

The veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issue of entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for a right arm skin graft scar.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her husband's death, finding that there was no competent medical evidence linking any in-service condition to his death from metastatic lung cancer.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he is capable of performing light physical activities and can engage in sedentary employment.

The Board denied service connection for multiple lipomas of the back and right elbow, finding that they were not incurred in or aggravated by service and are not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disability.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to May 23, 2003, for a 60% evaluation for his peptic ulcer, status post Bilroth gastrectomy, was denied as the evidence did not show that he met the criteria for such a rating prior to that date.,The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to May 23, 2003, for a 10% evaluation for his laparotomy scar, was also denied as there were no clinical records available from the relevant time period.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, considering the impairment from the disabilities and his education and occupational experience.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for bilateral keratoconus with corneal scarring and corneal ulcers, finding that his visual acuity levels do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development, including EMG testing and MRI of the cervical spine. The veteran's scars are also scheduled for a VA scar examination.

The veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The Board found no justiciable case or controversy with respect to the claim of entitlement to service connection for strep throat, as it was already granted in full in 1971. For the remaining issues, the veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for his right hip scar and chronic tonsillitis.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for residual scarring of the right scalp and residuals of a left eyelid injury, but denied reopening of his claim for service connection for scars of the left infraorbital region. The Board found that new evidence related to the right scalp scar was submitted since the last final denial, raising a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim. However, no new or material evidence was presented to reopen the claims for scars of the left infraorbital region and residuals of a left eyelid injury.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate examination and missing treatment records.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for evaluations in excess of 10 percent for residual scars and muscle impairment associated with an excision of an abdominal mass are not supported by the evidence, as her conditions do not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation under applicable rating codes.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and migraines, significantly impair her ability to work. The Board finds that she is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to these conditions.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his appendectomy scar was granted, with a current evaluation of 20 percent. The burn scars of the right and left arms and forearms remain rated at 10 percent each.

The Board denied an increased disability rating for the veteran's service-connected residual scar of the right upper back, finding that the evidence did not warrant a higher evaluation.

The veteran's appeal is denied as he received the appropriate amount of VA compensation for the period from June 1986 to October 2003.

The veteran's service-connected lymphedema and cellulitis do not meet the criteria for a clothing allowance as his prescribed stockings do not cause wear or tear to his outer garments.