Scars decisions — 2019

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including panic disorder with agoraphobia and bilateral tinnitus, made him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of October 6, 2014. The effective date for the grant of TDIU is set at October 18, 2015.

The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% rating. The Veteran also meets the criteria for TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including Parkinson’s disease and right lower extremity bradykinesia, loss of automatic movements, and muscle rigidity, result in the need for assistive devices such as a walker to prevent locomotion without them. The Board finds eligibility for specially adapted housing due to these service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of muscle removal/damage, right side abdomen/stomach with surgical scar removed and transplanted to service-connected left calf.,The Board also denied service connection for a left shoulder condition. The low back condition was remanded due to the need for further medical evaluation.

The Veteran's migraines are rated at 50% effective October 21, 2013.,Service connection for scars of the left foot and right knee is granted with an effective date of October 14, 2014.,Service connection for scars of the left ankle is granted with an effective date of February 7, 2013.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines prior to October 21, 2013 is denied.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities prior to May 24, 2007 is being remanded for further consideration by the Director, Compensation Service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and evaluation, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling examinations. The TDIU claim is inextricably intertwined with the increased rating claims.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings on several service-connected conditions have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing her appeal.

The Veteran's hypertension is presumed to have been caused by exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam, but a medical opinion is needed to determine if it was aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.,A VA medical opinion is needed to determine whether the Veteran's bladder tumors and urothelial carcinoma are related to his active duty service, including presumed exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam. The examiner should also consider the Veteran’s 1960 and 1966 in-service treatment for urethritis and gonorrhea.,The Veteran's parotid tumor excision scar is not entitled to a compensable initial rating as it does not meet the criteria for disfigurement or instability.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for the residual scar of the right lower leg abscess incised was denied as there is no evidence showing that the condition results in disfigurement.,For the acquired psychiatric disorder to include an anxiety disorder and PTSD, the claim for ratings in excess of 30 percent from May 22, 2009, and in excess of 50 percent from October 27, 2012 was denied as there is no evidence showing that the condition manifests with occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's hypertension, residual scar from laceration to left thumb, and service connection for erectile dysfunction are granted with a 20% rating effective May 2nd, 2016. Bilateral cataracts, diabetes mellitus, and gout are denied.

The Board has granted service connection for a nose condition and an initial disability rating of 10 percent for the Veteran's right nasal scar, finding that there is sufficient evidence to support these determinations.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and records, including informed consent documents and a May 2014 VA medical opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain and/or maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to determine if the proximate cause of his residuals of left-hand trigger finger, including painful scar with disfigurement, was an event not reasonably foreseeable.

The Board has granted service connection for facial acne with residual scars as if it were awarded on the date of the July 1982 rating decision. The noncompensable rating for hydradenitis of the groin remains under review.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the current nature and severity of his service-connected left middle finger disability, including whether there is interference with the overall function of his left hand warranting a separate disability rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to the Veteran's failure to report for scheduled VA examinations. The Veteran is asked to provide updated contact information and reschedule the exams.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of the claims for service connection for a cut to the neck with scar and a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU since October 29, 2018, but the claim for TDIU prior to that date is denied. The decision also denies entitlement to a TDIU prior to October 29, 2018.