Scars decisions — 2020

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Board has remanded four issues for further development: PTSD, lumbar pain, vision damage with eye fluttering/blurriness, and facial scarring shrapnel injury. The Veteran's claims are being reviewed due to the need for additional medical examinations and records.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral flatfeet, right shoulder condition, retina atrophy, and retina scar due to insufficient evidence or lack of a clear indication that these conditions are related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for his left knee scar, residual of shell fragment wound, from August 30, 2004, finding that the evidence did not support an increased rating due to moderately severe disability.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings is remanded to allow for further examination and evaluation of his lumbosacral strain, left lower extremity radiculopathy, left knee disabilities, and scarring. The goal is to determine the current severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for left hand 5th digit deformity has been withdrawn. The Board also remanded the cases of rating in excess of 20 percent for residual scars, left shoulder, status post-surgical repair and rating in excess of 10 percent for left shoulder labrum tear, status post-surgical repair.

The Veteran's service-connected left knee degenerative joint disease and scar are being remanded for further evaluation due to the age of the last examination, reports of progressive worsening, and missing relevant medical evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right wrist scar, bilateral hand carpal tunnel syndrome, and tinnitus are denied as there was no prior claim or entitlement to these conditions prior to January 24, 2018. The effective date is set at the date of claim, January 24, 2018.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on need for regular aid and attendance or at the housebound rate due to his nonservice-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for service-connected right-hand scar and lumbar strain were denied. The Board found that the current evaluations of 10 percent and 20 percent, respectively, are appropriate given the severity of the conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and clarification regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed residual penile scar. The issues include service connection, evaluation of hernia disability prior to June 30, 2017, and TDIU.

The Veteran's post-operative residuals of fractured left tibia and fibula with left ankle strain and degenerative changes are rated at 20 percent, effective October 17, 2016. The initial compensable rating for scars of the lower left extremity is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to the need for a contemporaneous VA examination and consideration of additional medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities necessitate the need for regular aid and attendance, which has been granted. The housebound claim is moot as a result.

The Veteran's trunk scar was not manifested by an area or areas of 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater, and the Board denied a compensable rating for his trunk scar.,The Veteran’s right lower extremity scar was not manifested by an area or areas of 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater, and the Board denied a compensable rating for his right lower extremity scar.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a lipoma removal from the top of his head has been granted. His claims for left and right ankle disabilities, excluding Achilles tendonitis, have also been granted with effective dates based on when he first filed his initial claim. The Veteran's depressive disorder and obstructive sleep apnea are found to be related to his service-connected conditions, and his headaches are secondary to these disorders. Service connection has not been established for anemia or right knee chondromalacia.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left wrist disability, surgical scar on the left wrist, and right inguinal hernia status post-Bassini repair. The evidence did not support higher ratings as there was no ankylosis of the left wrist or recurrent hernias during the appeal period.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) on an extraschedular basis prior to July 31, 2012. The evidence did not support that the Veteran was unemployable at that time due to his service-connected PTSD, tinnitus, or scar of the left chest.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, left hip disorder, right hip disorder, gastrointestinal disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder are remanded.