Scars decisions — 2008

The Board has granted the veteran's application to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection for PTSD. The veteran was seen by a psychiatrist during his second period of service and hospitalized for psychiatric reasons shortly after discharge from the Coast Guard in early 1978. Additional development is needed to obtain these records.

The veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals, sprained left ankle, with post operative scar and post traumatic arthritis.

The Board found that none of the service-connected conditions contributed to the veteran's cause of death, which was due to complications following mitral valve replacement surgery.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating schedule.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an earlier effective date or higher initial rating.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for residuals of left knee meniscectomies and post-surgical scars of the left knee are being remanded for further development.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a psychiatric disorder secondary to his service-connected adenocarcinoma of the right lung, residuals of a stroke secondary to his service-connected adenocarcinoma of the right lung, chronic artery blockage, COPD, and an increased rating for a lobectomy scar. The veteran's claims were denied as there was no competent evidence linking these conditions to his military service or service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of evidence and need for further examination, particularly regarding carpal tunnel syndrome.

The veteran is factually housebound due to his service-connected PTSD with depression prior to September 28, 2005 and beginning July 1, 2006. Special monthly compensation based on housebound status has been granted.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for compensable evaluations for his laceration scar of the left hand and residuals of a fracture of the left ulna, finding that there was no objective evidence of pain or functional impairment due to these scars.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical examinations and for further development of his claims.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and thus the case is dismissed.

The veteran's status post excision of an interdigital neuroma of the left foot is service-connected, while his claims for removal of warts from the bilateral feet, frozen feet, and arthritis of the bilateral feet are denied.

The veteran's service connection claims for migraines, hiatal hernia, lumbosacral disc disease, undiagnosed systemic disease (undiagnosed illness), ITP, right index finger fracture, and lymph node biopsy scars have been granted. The disability evaluations are as follows: 30 percent for migraines, 10 percent for hiatal hernia, 10 percent for lumbosacral disc disease, 60 percent for undiagnosed systemic disease (undiagnosed illness) from February 1, 2005, and 100 percent for undiagnosed systemic disease (undiagnosed illness) from January 28, 2008. The right index finger fracture is noncompensable, the lymph node biopsy scars are noncompensable, and ITP remains at a noncompensable evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of the veteran's service-connected residuals from cholecystectomy with scar. The initial compensable rating claim is pending.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation for left eye HSK with corneal scarring, finding that his visual acuity did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for residuals of sialadenitis and sialolithiasis, finding that there was no evidence linking his current salivary gland disability to his military service.

The Board has determined that further action is needed to evaluate the veteran's left knee scar status post keloid excision, including obtaining VA medical records and arranging for a VA examination. The claim will be remanded for these actions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbosacral spine, bilateral knee, vertigo, hearing loss, and eye scarring conditions. The evidence did not support a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and residuals of excision of lipoma were denied as there is no legal basis for the assignment of an evaluation in excess of the current rating.