Scars decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the claims for a higher rating for left knee disability and TDIU due to the need for further examination and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of pneumonia with left lower lung scar and COPD have been granted a 30 percent disability rating effective August 13, 1996.,An increased disability rating for chronic left Achilles tendonitis is denied. The current rating of 20% remains unchanged.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations were dismissed. The Board also remanded several issues related to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has reopened the service connection claim for the residuals of a bilateral eye surgery due to new medical evidence. The other issues are remanded for further development and consideration.

Your service-connected left foot injuries have been rated based on their current severity. However, the Board has found that additional evidence is needed to determine if these conditions are related to your in-service injuries and whether they should be considered secondary to other service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal regarding his initial rating for a left clavicle surgical scar is being remanded due to the need for further development, including obtaining additional VA records and scheduling an examination.

The Board has granted service connection for low back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. Service connection is remanded for shrapnel wound residuals, skin disability (including as due to herbicide exposure in service), and peripheral artery disease (including as due to herbicide exposure in service).

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and verification of his periods of active duty for training.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right lateral/medial epicondylitis and hyperlipidemia was denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of these conditions.,Service connection for PTSD, thoracolumbar spine IVDS and degenerative arthritis, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, left ankle sprain, cervical spine strain, right shoulder sprain, right shin splints, left shin splints, hemorrhoids, right knee patellofemoral syndrome, and left knee patellofemoral syndrome was denied. The Veteran's PTSD disability rating prior to September 27, 2012 was also denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to new evidence being added to the record after a Substantive Appeal was filed. The VA treatment records detailing the Veteran's treatment for her claimed conditions are relevant and must be reviewed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to insufficient evidence in the record, particularly regarding his right eye disability. The claims will be remanded for further development including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, left shoulder residuals with scar, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and gunshot wound residuals, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted the TDIU based on these conditions.

The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and the cause of death (chronic aspiration pneumonia, altered mental state, new onset seizure disorder) is not related to VA care or treatment. The Board denied both claims for service connection for the cause of death and DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1151.

The Veteran's initial 60 percent evaluation for voiding dysfunction, beginning March 1, 2005, is granted. Additionally, separate initial evaluations of 10 percent each are granted for five painful abdominal scars and a painful unstable scar, all effective from March 1, 2005.

The Veteran's scars are currently rated at 10% each, and the status postoperative stripping and ligation of greater saphenous vein is also rated at 10%. Both issues have been remanded for further review.

The Board denied service connection for a right eye cataract, granted an initial 10 percent disability rating for left eye chorioretinal scar, and granted an initial 30 percent disability rating for ptosis of the left eye.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for scrotal varicoceles and hydroceles, left inguinal surgical scar, and two right lower leg surgical scars, two left lower leg surgical scars, and one right inguinal surgical scar have all been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder condition and denied an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for residual armpit scars status post lymph node removal. The Veteran was not shown to have a separate right shoulder condition apart from his painful underarm scarring, and he failed to report for the scheduled examinations.

The Veteran's right abdominal scar was denied a compensable rating prior to April 9, 2018 and granted a 10 percent rating as of that date. The Veteran's left shoulder intrinsic syndrome was denied a rating in excess of 20 percent prior to November 3, 2017 and granted a 30 percent rating as of that date.

The Board has remanded several claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the claim remains denied.