Scars decisions — 2019

The Veteran's back condition did not manifest ankylosis or incapacitating episodes during the period on appeal. The Board denied a higher disability rating for DJD of the lumbar spine.,The Veteran withdrew his claim for increased tinnitus prior to the promulgation of a decision by the Board.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a new examination to assess his scarring and whether his skin malignancy requires therapy comparable to that used on systemic malignancies. The effective date of service connection is also being remanded.

The Board has identified several issues for remand, including the need to obtain additional treatment records and conduct new examinations. The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the lack of current diagnoses and functional impairment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The issue of service connection for PTSD (unspecified) remains unresolved.,The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and earlier effective dates for his acquired psychiatric disorder, low back disability, left ankle disability, and right eye disability are being remanded.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings and compensable evaluations for various scars, as well as service connection for sleep apnea and a back disorder. The issues are dismissed.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for duodenal mass removal, hernia repair as secondary to duodenal mass removal, and residual scars as secondary to duodenal mass removal. The Veteran is also granted a 50% disability rating for migraine headaches effective October 23, 2008.

The Veteran's claims for left shoulder disorder, hypertension, stomach disorder, PTSD and depression, right ankle disorder, tinnitus, left ankle DJD, lumbar spine strain, right Osgood-Schlatter’s syndrome, rhinitis, and right elbow laceration scar have all been denied. The claim for service connection for PTSD and depression has been reopened due to new evidence.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's allergic rhinitis, scar on the right knee, and scars on the umbilicus are all rated based on their current manifestations.,A TDIU is being remanded as additional evidence may be relevant to this issue.

The Veteran's service-connected low back disability and related surgical scar render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation as of September 12, 2016. Prior to that date, he was not unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his left ear lobe amputation scar is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of his reported symptoms.

The Veteran's initial disability ratings for her residual surgical scar status post ganglion cyst removal have been denied. Her right shoulder and right wrist CTS issues are remanded.,The Board has referred the Veteran’s claims of entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disability and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) of the right wrist, as these matters require additional development.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating of 50 percent for migraines is granted. The claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The claims for service connection for a pelvic disability as a residual of a Cesarian section and for a Cesarian section scar are remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted, as it is etiologically related to noise exposure during active military service. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied due to lack of evidence of current disability meeting VA criteria. The claims for service connection for a pelvic disability and for a Cesarian section scar are remanded.,,,

The Veteran's left knee conditions do not warrant a higher rating, and his residual scar from upper-back cyst removal does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has decided to remand several claims for additional development and evidence collection, including seeking outstanding VA medical records and obtaining the Veteran's consent to obtain private medical records.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and development to determine if any current psychiatric disorder is related to service. The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for head laceration scars are also remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for consideration of new evidence and readjudication.

The Veteran's initial 20 percent rating for costochondritis associated with a residual scar from right lower lobe segmentectomy is granted. The appeal regarding the TDIU issue is remanded.

The Veteran's total abdominal hysterectomy was not performed by a VA employee or in a VA facility, and thus she is denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for the residuals of her surgery.

The Veteran's initial evaluations for her service-connected painful surgical scar of the right breast and superficial and nonlinear scar of the left breast are denied as they do not meet the criteria for higher ratings.