Scars decisions — 2017

The Veteran's laceration scars of the head and face were rated at 10 percent effective January 4, 2005. The left hand wound with limited flexion of the fingers was rated at 30 percent effective March 15, 2005.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection on all issues related to her cervical strain, migraine headaches, depressive disorder, bilateral trigeminal nerve disorder, otalgia with dizziness and blurred vision, and scar, residual of trigeminal nerve injury are denied. The disabilities were granted effective from November 21, 2011.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at 50 percent, effective from the date of this decision. The left ankle scar is rated at 10 percent prior to April 30, 2010 and 10 percent as of that date.

The Veteran's left frontal skull fracture with residual scarring is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, effective prior to March 15, 2006.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease (IHD), prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, type II, and other conditions.,The Veteran's IHD is rated at 100% effective from the date of the June 2016 VA examination.

The Veteran's right optic atrophy and retinal scarring with aphakia were granted service connection based on a finding of direct service connection. The disability is rated as 40 percent disabling.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for left lateral femoral cutaneous nerve damage and right supraspinatus tendonitis with chronic right latissimus dorsi muscle strain. The Board has remanded these issues.,The Veteran also seeks a separate rating for his right thumb impairment, which he claims is related to his service-connected right hand disability. This issue was previously addressed by the Board in 2011 and remains on appeal.,Finally, the Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for tear of anterior labrum and femoral acetabular impingement syndrome, degenerative joint disease of the left hip, and left hip scar tissue. The Board has also remanded this issue.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's left calf scar, effective from November 1, 2007.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations or earlier effective dates have been withdrawn. The claims are dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case for an addendum opinion regarding direct service connection and secondary aggravation of the Veteran's sleep disability by his PTSD. The Veteran now asserts that his sleep apnea may be related to, or aggravated by any of his service-connected disabilities, in addition to his PTSD, as well as the medications used to treat the service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran is granted a 10 percent rating for his scar on the right parietal scalp prior to November 30, 2016. From that date forward, he is not entitled to an increased rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied as there is no current evidence of a hearing loss disability, and the Board finds that his claimed disabilities are not related to military service. The Veteran has also had his claims withdrawn for gastroesophageal reflux disease, sleep disorder, rib injury, and kidney injury.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new examination to determine the severity of his service-connected right wrist disabilities and scar.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left shoulder disability and related scar condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including hypertension and ischemic heart disease, prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to August 28, 2015. The Board granted a TDIU rating based on this finding.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a tender scar on his right hand due to new and material evidence. The Board also finds that the injury was not caused by willful misconduct, thus granting service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.