Scars decisions — 2020

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a skin condition, scars (secondary to a skin condition), and reproductive failure. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for right and left ankle disabilities, as well as a left wrist disability other than the scar from ganglion removal. The Veteran's current conditions are not considered to be related to his military service.,Service connection was granted for the left wrist scar resulting from the removal of a ganglion cyst during service.

The Board denied a higher rating for left knee osteoarthritis and left knee scars, finding that the Veteran's conditions did not meet the criteria for increased ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU rating prior to May 6, 2014, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including left total knee replacement and pilonidal cyst, do not render him unemployable without regard to his age. The Board finds that the evidence does not show he is unable to work due to these conditions.

The Board has determined that additional evidence should be obtained and the case remanded for further action.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Veteran's forehead scar received a 30% initial disability rating.,The Veteran's left upper extremity scars were not rated higher than the current 20% and 10%. The Veteran's PTSD with cannabis and alcohol use disorder received an increased rating to 70%,Effective from January 28, 2015, service connection for PTSD was granted. Effective dates for cervical strain, lumbosacral strain, left upper extremity scars, forehead scar were also granted.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for all the listed conditions, and thus the Board dismisses these claims.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims and character of discharge. The main issue is whether the Veteran’s bad conduct discharge for his second period of service from August 2, 1989 to October 12, 1994 constitutes a bar to VA benefits.

The Veteran's IVDS and sciatic nerve disabilities are rated based on their current manifestations. The neurogenic bladder disability is granted an effective date of January 20, 2016. The Veteran’s surgical scars have been remanded for further review.

The Veteran's initial rating for TKA of the left knee was denied, but a 10 percent rating as of April 23, 2019, was granted for a tender scar. The Veteran also received an initial compensable rating prior to April 23, 2019, for a scar of the left knee.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for scars of the hands was denied as his scars did not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating.,Service connection for rupture of right Achilles tendon with residuals was also denied, as there is no current diagnosis and the examiner opined that the injury less likely than not occurred in service.

The Board has determined that there has not been substantial compliance with the remand directives and has therefore ordered a new VA examination for the Veteran's dry skin, scars, and dermatitis claims.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to properly adjudicate the claims of service connection for various conditions, including a left hand scar and psychiatric disorders. The appellant will be asked to provide additional details about her husband's in-service injuries and medical records will be sought.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for prostate cancer, heart disease disability, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, respiratory condition, and upper torso left side scar associated with lung surgery due to potential herbicide exposure. The AOJ is instructed to obtain deck logs from USS Ranger and USS Hancock (CVA-19) and determine if they were within 12 nautical miles of Vietnam during the Veteran's service.

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability is rated at 20 percent, but the evidence does not support a higher rating due to lack of functional limitation.,The Veteran’s right wrist scar is rated at 0 percent as it does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under Diagnostic Code 7805.,The Veteran's left knee surgical scars are also rated at 0 percent, with no evidence showing disabling effects or loss of function.

The Board has dismissed all three issues in the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of her appeals.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to evaluations in excess of 10 percent for right and left iliotibial band syndrome, hearing loss, TMJ disability, and service connection for a left foot, right foot, left ankle, left hand, low back, and left shoulder disabilities have all been dismissed.,A compensable evaluation for headaches has been granted from October 10, 2019.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine if the appellant's right inguinal hernia and associated scar are related to service, specifically basic training in July 1998.