Scars decisions — 2019

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus. The claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, generalized anxiety disorder with major depression prior to April 11, 2016, sleep apnea, GERD, right wrist sprain with avascular necrosis, status post removal of necrotic bone, psoriasis, diabetes, right ankle sprain, right knee disorder, right foot disorder, bilateral leg disorder, chest disorder, residuals of head injury including scar, and vocal chords disorder are all remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records, specifically missing VA and private treatment records related to the Veteran's detached retina. The claim will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's right thumb fracture is rated at 20 percent, effective from the date of claim.,The Veteran's right thumb scar is rated at 10 percent, effective from the date of claim. The Veteran's pilonidal cystectomy scar remains at a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings on multiple disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have made him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, thus the Board has granted his claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to August 28, 2009, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment during this period.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for the Veteran's right elbow surgical scars effective October 31, 2016.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and scar below the neck line on the left side due to ischemic heart disease. The Veteran needs to be provided with VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his hypertension.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including rating scars, service connection for hemorrhoids and throat disability, earlier effective dates for costochondritis, migraine headaches, and asthma, and evaluation of costochondritis.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information about the Veteran's left lumbar scar and its impact on his daily activities.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for reopening service connection claims and effective date issues, but has remanded his claim seeking a noninitial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for service-connected headaches, vascular type.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee disability. The current ratings for his residual scar and lengthening of the left lower extremity are denied, while his traumatic arthritis rating remains at 60 percent.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including service connection for a right hip disability, gastrointestinal disability (including irritable bowel syndrome), and gastroesophageal reflux disease. The Veteran's left eye disability, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, right knee surgical scar, left knee surgical scar, thoracic spine disability, and residuals of left total knee replacement are not service-connected.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and thus granted his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease and PTSD, rendered him unable to maintain gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including cervical spine degenerative changes with disc bulges and multiple lower extremity radiculopathies, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has remanded the matter for further consideration of whether TDIU is moot due to his combined 100% disability rating.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to August 21, 2012, February 19, 2014, and February 19, 2014 are denied as there is no evidence of an informal claim or intent to file a claim before these dates.,The Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for left hip surgical scar and tinnitus are remanded due to the need for further development and consideration.,No effective date prior to February 19, 2014 is granted as there was no informal claim or intent to file a claim before this date.

The Board denied service connection for COPD, chronic sinusitis, and right arm malignant melanoma with residual scar. The evidence did not support the Veteran's claims of in-service exposure to herbicides or Agent Orange.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable or unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation beginning February 4, 2015. A total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted effective from that date.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for cystic acne scarring of the head, face, and neck as well as the trunk has been remanded due to insufficient evidence. The current ratings are appropriate.