Scars decisions — 2019

The Veteran was granted service connection for skin cancer, residuals of cold injuries (including neurological disorders in the bilateral upper and lower extremities), and scars of the nose and right ear. The claim for dementia was denied.,The Veteran's current varicose veins in the bilateral lower extremities are being remanded to obtain a VA opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to TDIU.

The Veteran was unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, and the Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings on several service-connected conditions have been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal regarding these issues.

The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for ischemic heart disease, status post coronary artery bypass graft and left pyelonephritis from the date of claim in April 2010. The Veteran's claim for service connection for scars due to service-connected disability is remanded.

The Board has determined that there is at least a 50% likelihood that the Veteran's facial scars, located on the forehead near the eyes, are related to his active duty service. The decision grants service connection for these scars.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of June 26, 2012 for a 30 percent rating for scars as a result of residuals of cicatricial alopecia. The claim was not reviewed on VA initiative within one year of the August 2002 liberalizing law that changed the rating criteria for scars.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is granted a 10% rating. The left eye corneal scar, as a residual of a left eye corneal laceration, and the left ear hearing loss are denied compensable ratings. Right ear hearing loss is denied service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and evaluations to determine the current severity of his service-connected PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, left knee instability, and left knee scars. The Veteran does not have a service-connected condition that would allow him to combine with his right eye disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for a right ankle disability, right knee disability, left ankle disability, and left knee disability due to new evidence received since the last final decision. The psychiatric disorder claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the failure to appear for scheduled examinations. The Veteran will be provided with new examination dates.

The Board denied a request for an effective date prior to April 16, 2014 for the award of service connection for DJD of the cervical spine, patellofemoral syndrome of the right and left knees, residual scar from GSW of the back, and mild interphalangeal osteoarthritis of the left fifth finger.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance is denied as he does not require regular aid and assistance due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was granted, and he is now entitled to this benefit. However, his claim for a compensable rating for his recurrent pilonidal cyst (scar), postoperative status, remains pending.,Additional VA treatment records must be obtained, as well as any private medical records the Veteran may have provided previously but not submitted.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, which have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

All initial claims for increased ratings were dismissed as the Veteran requested withdrawal of his appeal. The restoration of a 50% rating for major depressive disorder was granted effective December 1, 2015. Earlier effective dates of May 22, 2014 were granted for increased ratings for lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities.

The Veteran's initial ratings for eczema, GERD, scars left upper extremity, and keloid scars x 6, anterior trunk are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess current severity.

The Veteran's facial sebaceous cysts have been granted increased ratings of 50 percent prior to December 23, 2015 and from April 19, 2017. The Veteran was denied a rating in excess of 50 percent for the period between December 23, 2015 and April 18, 2017, and a rating in excess of 20 percent prior to April 19, 2017 for painful scarring due to sebaceous cysts. The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date was remanded.,The Board found that the Veteran’s facial sebaceous cysts have manifested with characteristics of disfigurement such as surface contour depressed on palpation and scars at least one-quarter inch (0.6 cm) wide at widest part, and scars adherent to underlying tissue, resulting in a 50 percent rating for the period prior to December 23, 2015.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient information regarding whether the Veteran's lumbar spine condition is aggravated by his service-connected cervical fusion. The issues of surgical scars and temporary total evaluation are also being remanded as they are inextricably intertwined with the service connection claim.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for a left eye disability due to additional development and consideration, including seeking records from the Veteran's Reserve service period.