Scars decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the severity of the Veteran's right arm injury scar, and additional development is needed.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for left ring finger injury with surgical repair residuals and scar was denied. The appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development regarding entitlement to total disability rating for individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, and he requires the care or assistance of another person on a regular basis due to his disabilities. The Board has granted TDIU and special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee arthritis as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability. The rating assigned is 10 percent.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including service connection claims and increased rating claims. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also inextricably intertwined with the increased ratings still on appeal.

The Veteran's appeal regarding his initial compensable rating for service-connected residual scar, status post right arm puncture is dismissed. The Board also remanded the issue of service connection for residual nerve damage to the right forearm.

The Veteran is granted annual VA clothing allowances for the year 2014 due to use of a cane, wheelchair, crutches, and short leg braces. The clothing allowance is based on his service-connected disabilities related to a shell fragment wound.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's employment history and work capacity. The Veteran is seeking a TDIU on an extraschedular basis, but additional development is needed to determine if his service-connected disabilities have precluded him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal concerning the issues of increased ratings for a deviated nasal septum and status post nasal reconstruction scars. The Board does not have jurisdiction to review these appeals as they have been dismissed.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding erectile dysfunction and anemia due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal. The remaining issues have been remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for anxiety disorder was received on December 27, 1983. The effective date of the grant of service connection is set at December 27, 1983.,The Veteran's original claim for service connection for a head tumor with secondary disabilities (scalp scar, seizures, and constipation) was received on March 17, 2010. The effective date for the grant of service connection is set at March 17, 2010.,The Veteran's claims for scalp scar, seizures, and constipation are secondary to his head tumor. These conditions were not separately claimed prior to March 17, 2010.,No effective date earlier than March 17, 2010 is granted for the service connection of these secondary disabilities as they are related to the primary disability (head tumor).,The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities was remanded.

The Veteran's low back disability, depression disorder NOS, and chronic spinal headaches have been found to meet the criteria for a TDIU.,The Veteran has service-connected disabilities that combine to at least 70 percent disabling.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation for the entire appeal period, with marginal employment established as of February 15, 2017.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented her from maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to November 3, 2016. The combined rating of the service-connected conditions is 90 percent, meeting the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal regarding the reduction in rating for his kidney condition was dismissed. The Board also granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from October 2, 2014.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further action on several issues, including service connection and rating determinations.,An effective date prior to April 20, 2011, for the award of service connection for hypertension has been denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim for service connection for residuals of a fragment wound to the right side of the back, to include a scar. The case is remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

The Veteran's service-connected appendectomy scarring is rated at 10 percent since November 10, 2008. The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for the service-connected appendectomy scars based on tenderness. TDIU was granted from July 26, 2007 to January 5, 2010 due to the Veteran's inability to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to her service-connected disabilities.