Scars decisions — 2011

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and he is satisfied with the 100 percent disability rating assigned effective February 6, 2009.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing. The claim of service connection for heart disability, status post cardiac bypass with residual scarring remains under consideration.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the eligibility requirements for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, which include nephropexy and ligation of the right renal artery, residuals of a right third finger fracture, sinusitis, residual scar on the right flank, and right ear otitis media, are rated at 70 percent combined. The Board finds that these conditions do not render him unemployable.

The Veteran's left cheek scar meets the criteria for a 10 percent rating effective March 31, 2006. He also has a separate 10 percent rating for tender and painful scars on his left cheek.

The Veteran's right buttock scar, which measures 2 square centimeters and is occasionally painful with no adherence to underlying tissue or ulceration, does not meet the criteria for a higher rating than 10 percent under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional medical examination and review of his claims file to determine the current severity of his service-connected scar disorder, including its impact on his varicose vein disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining SSA records and VA/privately held treatment records.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected facial scars and for issuance of a statement of the case regarding his claim for service connection for enlarged nodes of the chest and neck.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support the claimed conditions or theories of service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected scars of the bilateral temporal area and neck have been rated at 30 percent since August 30, 2002.

The Veteran's left forearm disability is rated at 20 percent, and his neck scars are currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board found that neither condition warranted a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected scars, postoperative residuals of bunionectomy of the right and left feet, are already rated at their maximum disability evaluation under the applicable provisions. There is no evidence of an unstable or deep scar or functional impairment that would warrant a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected residuals of a gunshot wound to the left thigh do not warrant an evaluation in excess of 30 percent, while his service-connected left thigh scar does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current disabilities for which he is seeking service connection, and therefore, his claims are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render her unemployable, as she is currently employed in an administrative/personnel capacity.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II, with erectile dysfunction is currently evaluated at 20 percent. The left ankle sprain with a history of gout warrants a 10 percent evaluation. Both right knee and left knee degenerative joint disease are each rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected corneal scar in the left eye is being remanded due to a lack of medical records and incomplete file. The VA will attempt to obtain all relevant records, including those from private facilities and VA hospitals, and schedule the Veteran for a VA examination by an ophthalmologist.