Scars decisions — 2009

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a scar examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine, gastrointestinal, and cervical spine disabilities are secondary to his service-connected post-operative scar of the abdomen. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a rating higher than 20 percent for scars of the chest and back from October 23, 2008 was granted. The previous ratings were denied.

The Veteran's service connection claim for hypertension was denied, and his initial rating for a scar behind the right ear status post cyst excision is currently at 10 percent. The Veteran's increased rating claim for bilateral hearing loss after December 7, 2004 remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a more contemporaneous examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected neck pain.

The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death, adenocarcinoma of the omentum, was not caused by a service-connected condition or related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for initial compensable evaluations for residual scars of the face and right groin muscle strain have been denied. The Veteran is currently rated at 30% for his facial scars, but not for his right groin muscle strain.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling VA examinations to evaluate the severity of his right thigh disability and determine if his low back and right knee disorders are related to his service-connected right thigh disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's respiratory condition and lung tumor are not related to his active service. The examiner concluded that the current conditions were less likely due to bronchitis in service, attributing them more to age, environmental factors, genetics, and smoking history.

The Veteran's low back disability was initially rated as noncompensable prior to March 27, 2008. From that date, he is entitled to a 10 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records and the need for a VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected conditions contributed to his death. The appellant-widow is seeking service connection for the cause of her husband's death, which was attributed to COPD.

The Veteran's current eye disabilities and loss of vision are not related to his service, including as due to combat-related exposures during service. The Board finds a preponderance of the evidence against the claim.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of all pertinent criteria, including potential separate ratings for different components of the service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is not entitled to an initial compensable rating for his service-connected residuals of a right inguinal hernia with scar or internal and external hemorrhoids.

The Veteran's notice of disagreement regarding increased disability ratings for PTSD, shrapnel wound scar, and ichthyosis was not timely filed within one year from the August 4, 2005 notification. The Board denied his claim as he did not file a timely notice of disagreement.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected inflammatory papulocystic acne with scarring is remanded due to inadequate examination and missing medical records.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a right eye disability was withdrawn. The Board denied entitlement to an initial compensable rating for his left eye disability and granted a noncompensable rating for the skin disorder effective November 17, 2004.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded for additional development, including an addendum opinion and/or examination regarding the impact of her low back and bilateral knee disabilities on her employability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right forearm scar, left index finger disability, and skull fracture residuals were denied. He was granted service connection for these conditions but assigned initial noncompensable ratings.