Scars decisions — 2015

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to incomplete procedures and need for additional medical opinions. The Veteran's claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, multiple scars including of the head and face, and a right foot disorder are being remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed Lichen Planus Chronicus/LSC is not related to service and therefore denied his claim for service connection. His follicular dermatitis with residual scars are currently rated as 10%.

The Veteran's left testicle pain and hernia repair scar have been granted service connection, with the right ankle disability receiving a separate rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities combine for a 90 percent rating and render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus meeting the criteria for TDIU.

The Veteran's recurrent left inguinal hernia with mesh repair, along with painful scars and nerve entrapment residuals, has been evaluated at the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent since December 1, 2008. The claim for an increased evaluation is denied.

The Veteran's service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) as due to herbicide exposure is granted, resolving reasonable doubt in his favor. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether he set foot in Vietnam during service and thus establishes presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his right thigh disabilities, including muscle injury, limitation of flexion, limitation of extension, and scarring, are being remanded due to the need for clarification on ratings and additional VA examination.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including degenerative joint disease, instability, and residual scarring, is currently rated at 10 percent under DC 5259. The Board found that the current rating adequately reflects his symptoms and denied a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal of the noncompensable rating for her service-connected scar on the left torso is dismissed. The Board grants service connection for a respiratory disorder manifested by dyspnea.

The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death (myocardial scars and recent ischemic changes, severe stenotic atherosclerosis, hypertension, and cardiomyopathy) did not stem from any service-connected disability. The VA examiner concluded that these conditions were not related to service.

The Veteran's abdominal numbness and C-section scar were evaluated, but the evidence did not support a compensable rating. The Board found that her symptoms were only sensory in nature.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia and scarring from Caesarean sections were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and the Board denied both claims.

The Veteran's service connection for left corneal scar and embedded metallic foreign body with resultant intermittent eye pain and glare was granted, but the effective date remains December 13, 2010. The claim for sleep apnea is pending. The Veteran does not meet criteria for a higher rating based on visual acuity or incapacitating episodes.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him in need of regular aid and attendance or permanently housebound, thus his claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance and housebound status is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for asthma, service connection for sinusitis and a right ankle disability, and entitlement to TDIU due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PVD of the bilateral lower extremities and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to January 28, 2013.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 40 percent evaluation of shell fragment wound residuals of the right upper extremity and scar residuals of a shell fragment wound of the right upper extremity was granted. Service connection for PTSD, to include anxiety NOS, was also granted with an effective date of June 29, 2005.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his left hand scar and deviated septum, as well as service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional treatment records. The issue of an initial compensable rating for his service-connected scar, status post excision of leiomyosarcoma of the left shoulder, will be re-adjudicated.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's death may be related to his service-connected disabilities, and thus remands the case for further development including obtaining VA medical opinions.