Scars decisions — 2007

The veteran's service connection claims for residuals of pneumonia, residuals of scarlet fever, and cluster headaches are granted. The claim for service connection for residuals of German measles is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to the condition. Service connection for polymyalgia rheumatica is also denied due to lack of evidence linking it to active service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in a permanent need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status, thus denying her claim for special monthly compensation.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Board is remanding the case to consider whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen a claim of service connection for residuals of a back injury with associated leg pain, scars, and arthritis. The appellant's Social Security Administration disability benefits records must also be obtained.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA otolaryngology examination to determine if the veteran's current throat and neck disabilities are related to his in-service injury. The examiner must provide a detailed written rationale for any opinion expressed.

The veteran's claims for service connection for head injury, scar, and seizure disorder are being remanded due to insufficient records from his period of active duty. The RO is instructed to obtain relevant medical records and provide the veteran with a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran's treatment at Indiana Heart Physicians, Morgan County Memorial Hospital, and Indianapolis Neurosurgical Group was not due to emergent circumstances and VA medical services were reasonably available. Therefore, reimbursement for these instances of unauthorized medical expenses is granted.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss and partial amputations of the great toes, render him unemployable due to his physical limitations.

The Board has determined that the veteran's laceration scar of the left neck does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under any applicable rating code.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the durational requirement for a total disability rating at the time of his death, and there was no clear and unmistakable error in previous decisions. The claim is denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected disabilities, including scars on the right leg and cold injury residuals of both feet and hands. The RO continues to assign a 20 percent evaluation for all other residuals of shrapnel wounds, but denies an increase in the evaluation for the scars on the right leg.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bipolar disorder and an increased rating for scar tissue, right epididymis. The evidence did not establish a link between his active service and either condition.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability and a claim for an increased rating for the veteran's burn scar of the left upper arm. The veteran was not granted service connection as his current psychiatric condition is not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected burn scar. For the burn scar, the Board found that it did not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee disability, chondromalacia of the patella, and an initial 10 percent evaluation for scar, right thumb injury, effective October 22, 2002.

The Board denied the appellant's claim that the veteran's ALS was related to his military service, finding no competent medical evidence linking the cause of death to any in-service incident.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and higher initial ratings for his right knee, bilateral shoulder conditions, and scar from a donor site. The veteran was not granted any new or material evidence to reopen his claim for patellofemoral syndrome of the right knee.

The Board has determined that the veteran was not involved in a plane crash while in service, and therefore, his claims for chest pain, bilateral knee disorder, head injury, breathing problems, dental trauma, scars of the head, face, knee, and ears, hepatitis A, fracture of nose, digestive disorder, scarring of lung, and post-traumatic stress disorder are all denied.,The veteran's service medical records do not show any mention of a plane crash or other traumatic injury. The separation examination did not indicate any chronic conditions related to the claimed disabilities.

The veteran's muscle disability is currently rated at the maximum available evaluation of 30 percent. A compensable rating (10%) for his neck scar has been granted.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected postoperative residuals of a right inguinal hernia.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to new medical records and proper notice under 38 U.S.C.A. § 5103(a) and 38 C.F.R. § 3.159(b).