Scars decisions — 2015

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a concussion, carpal tunnel syndrome of the right hand, and cervical spine disability. The Veteran's right shoulder disability was rated at 20 percent until March 13, 2013, when it was increased to 40 percent. The Board also denied ratings in excess of 20 percent for the Veteran's right upper extremity radiculopathy, and denied compensable ratings for his scars and occipital neuralgia.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the listed issues prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and varicose veins of the right lower extremity, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. However, his employment history is unclear due to conflicting information provided by the Veteran.

The Veteran was granted TDIU as of November 1, 2009, due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating at any point during the appeal period.

The Board has granted service connection for diminished sense of smell, numbness and tingling of hands and feet, and testicular cancer with residual scars. The effective date is not specified as the appeal was based on new evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records, scheduling appropriate examinations, and affording the Veteran an opportunity to appear at a hearing.

The Veteran's service-connected scars of the face and right ear have been rated at a 10 percent evaluation since July 21, 2007.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to obtain a VA examination and social survey to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities prior to December 26, 2012.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development to assess the current level of severity of his left wrist disability and determine if his carpal tunnel syndrome is related to his service-connected de Quervain's tenosynovitis.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to an annual VA clothing allowance is denied as there is no credible evidence that his prescribed skin cream caused irreparable damage to his outer garments or that his left knee brace tends to wear or tear his clothing.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including the issuance of a statement of the case on her service connection claim and the provision of a VA examination to assess her scars of the right lower extremity.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to September 3, 1997, for the award of service connection for postoperative scar, right inguinal hernia repair is denied. The RO granted service connection for this condition on September 3, 1997.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral post-mammoplasty scars have been rated at a single 10% since the effective date of service connection (December 31, 1998) through October 23, 2008. The Board found that she is not entitled to a higher rating under any applicable criteria.

The Veteran's scars of the neck due to acne do not meet or approximate the criteria for a rating greater than 30 percent, as they result in no more than three characteristics of disfigurement.

The Veteran's death was not caused by any of his service-connected conditions, and the Board finds that the appellant does not have competent medical evidence to support her claim. As a result, she is not entitled to burial benefits based on the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board found that the Veteran's scarring of bilateral tympanic membranes was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and his bilateral hearing loss is not presumed to have been caused by military noise exposure. The Board denied both issues.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to service-connected coronary artery disease and/or posttraumatic stress disorder, an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for scar of the right anterior neck and residuals of a shell fragment injury, and ratings in excess of 10 percent for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities associated with lumbar spine degenerative disc disease.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C, PTSD, TBI, and a compensable rating for post-operative scarring from CABG were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support these claims.

The Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorder, major depressive disorder, is related to his military service. The Board finds that the Veteran has a right shoulder scar as a result of being stabbed in the back during service and grants service connection for this condition.