Scars decisions — 2014

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right foot amputation and neurological issues, make it impossible for him to walk without the aid of a wheelchair or brace. The Board finds that he meets the criteria for specially adapted housing benefits.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for his left knee, status-post arthroscopic surgery for a medial meniscal tear with a scar is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and development of records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities make it impossible for him to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, in combination, affect him in such a way that he is precluded from performing either sedentary or physical work. The Board grants entitlement to TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a rib condition and increased evaluations for his post-surgical scarring, as there is no evidence of current disability. The Veteran's conditions are rated based on their current manifestations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder disability, and scars were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of a current disability for hearing loss or sufficient functional impairment to warrant a compensable rating for the left shoulder disability or scars.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability, bilateral ankle and knee disabilities, GERD, residual scar from a left breast lumpectomy, tinnitus, and migraine headaches. The Veteran's current conditions are found to be related to her military service.

The VA denied the appellant's claim for an increased rating of his service-connected left hand crush injury and arthritis, finding that the disability did not warrant a higher rating based on current symptoms.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and providing a VA examination if warranted. The issues of entitlement to higher ratings for his service-connected disabilities will be reconsidered after the additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination and consideration of an extraschedular rating. The case will be returned to the Board after these actions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination and consideration due to unclear evidence regarding his employability solely based on service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational and work background.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for a Board hearing. The issues include seeking an initial compensable rating for two nose scars, reopening service connection for PTSD and left thumb disability, and determining if new evidence has been received to reopen these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's scar of the right elbow does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating under any applicable diagnostic code.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently evaluated as 20 percent disabling under Diagnostic Code 5201. A separate evaluation of 10 percent for painful scarring associated with the disability has been granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity as to effectively preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment for which the Veteran's education and occupational experience would otherwise qualify him, warranting a TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities require the use of knee braces, which tend to wear out or tear his clothing. The VA needs to obtain a medical certification regarding whether any prescribed medication for skin conditions due to these disabilities causes irreparable damage to his clothing.

The Veteran's combined rating for his service-connected disabilities is sufficient to qualify him for a TDIU based on schedular criteria as of August 16, 2012.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for residuals of a left eye injury with corneal scar, status post irridectomy and cataract is denied as the disability does not warrant a higher rating based on visual impairment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for traumatic brain injury, hypertension, and headaches. The initial evaluations for PTSD, lip laceration scar, and bilateral hearing loss were also denied.