Scars decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claims for service connection, increased rating, and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of his records. The low back disability claim is also being reopened.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination regarding service connection, rating determinations, and severity assessments.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is rated at a 60 percent disability rating, effective from the date of this decision. The issue of entitlement to TDIU has been remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted TDIU based on this finding.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new examination.

The Veteran's initial 10 percent rating for a surgical scar of the right ankle is granted. The Board also remanded two issues: service connection for a right knee disorder (secondary to the service-connected residuals of fracture of the right ankle) and an earlier effective date for the 10 percent rating for the service-connected residuals of fracture of the right ankle.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a right knee condition and a right knee scar due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran's in-service injury is alleged to have caused or aggravated these conditions.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and records. The seizure disorder, which may be secondary to alcoholism, will also be addressed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right hand injury with degenerative changes and tinnitus, do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a brown recluse spider bite, including nerve and muscle disability, is granted. The left posterior leg scar has been rated at 10 percent since the initial grant of service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in the need of regular aid and attendance, which is granted for Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) for Aid and Attendance.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lower jaw and chin facial scars are service-connected as they were incurred during his active duty in Korea.

The Veteran's skin disability, characterized as acne, scrotal nodule, facial scarring, chloracne, and dermatofibromas with scars, is currently rated at 60 percent. The claim for an increased rating is denied.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD was denied, and his claim for TDIU was also denied due to the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for a right bicep scar, finding no evidence of an in-service injury and insufficient medical opinion to establish a relationship between the current condition and service.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, but the Board finds that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating. The Veteran also does not meet the criteria for TDIU as he has one disability rated at least 40% and his combined evaluation is less than 70%. His other disabilities are not sufficient to bring his combined evaluation to 70%.

The Veteran's claim for SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person or housebound status was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not meet the criteria.,The appellant's claim for specially adapted housing, which is a one-time benefit, was also denied because the Veteran died during the appeal process.

The appeals regarding effective dates prior to October 30, 2006 for granting of service connection for right ankle sprain and postoperative scar of the right ankle have been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations.

The Veteran's service-connected left ankle disability and left ankle scar are being remanded for additional development to assess their current severity.