Scars decisions — 2020

The Board has determined that the scar on the left side of the Veteran's forehead was incurred during service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 40% effective August 1, 2019. A separate 10% rating for a painful back surgical scar was granted.

The Veteran's service connection claims for scarring, stress incontinence, female sexual arousal disorder (FSAD), and residuals of a July 1986 total hysterectomy are all granted. The Veteran's current conditions are found to be related to her in-service surgery.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial evaluations for his scars and right little finger fracture were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current disability of hearing loss in accordance with VA regulations.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a residual scar on the left groin from surgical repair of an inguinal hernia is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing substantially gainful employment, and a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU) is granted.

The Board dismissed the appeals for increased ratings of left and right shoulder degenerative joint diseases, abdominal scars, and right knee instability. The claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss were denied. The Veteran's right knee instability was granted a 10 percent rating from April 18, 2013, and a 20 percent rating from May 31, 2018. The claims for femoral nerve radiculopathies are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to May 14, 2012. The evidence did not show that his service-connected disabilities alone prevented him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has dismissed all issues of service connection for various disabilities as the Veteran did not allege specific errors of law or fact in the determinations.

The Board has granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis as of September 6, 2010, finding that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from all substantially gainful employment prior to December 2, 2014.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims due to the addition of unreadable and illegible VA treatment records. The Veteran needs to provide copies of his own medical records if they are not already in the file.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including cervical spine disorder, cervical radiculopathy, right shoulder disorder, right upper extremity scars (armpit scars), back disorder, and right leg sciatica, as they were not related to the Veteran's period of honorable service from September 6, 2005 to November 25, 2008.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal because he withdrew his claim for service connection for a left eye disability other than his already service-connected left corneal scar and traumatic iridodialysis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities make him unemployable, and the Board has granted a TDIU based on this finding.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to inadequate examination reports and potential impact on SMC claim.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for a scar from pacemaker surgery was denied.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for major depressive disorder was denied.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for ischemic heart disease (including myocardial infarction) was denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for the scar from pacemaker surgery was denied.,The Veteran's claim for total disability due to individual unemployability based on service-connected disabilities was granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations of her service-connected conditions, as well as a determination regarding her bilateral carpel tunnel syndrome.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions include adenoma in the duodenum, removal of gall bladder (Whipple procedure), intestinal condition secondary to Whipple procedure, diverticulitis, peritoneal scarring, periumbilical incisional hernia, epigastric hernia, and diabetes mellitus. These conditions are all related to his service-connected adenoma in the duodenum. The Veteran's right knee disabilities have been granted a 20% rating for moderate lateral instability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to new evidence being added to the record and the need for updated VA examinations.

The Board dismissed all claims for increased ratings and denied service connection for dental trauma. The Veteran's major depressive disorder was granted as secondary to his service-connected disabilities, leading to a TDIU determination.