Scars decisions — 2021

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for scar, right great toe and right ear hearing loss were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for his scar, right big toe, and that he does not have an exceptional pattern of hearing impairment in his right ear.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's scalp disorder, including dissecting folliculitis with scarring alopecia, as a presumptive chronic multisymptom illness of unknown etiology due to his active duty in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War.

The Veteran's gunshot wound scars were granted an increased rating of 30 percent, but no higher, prior to December 3, 2019.,An increased rating in excess of 30 percent from December 3, 2019 forward for the Veteran's gunshot wounds scars was denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development and lack of competent medical evidence on file for a decision.

The Veteran was unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, including lung cancer and low back pain. The Board granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's right knee surgical scars are not rated higher than 10 percent.,The Veteran's left knee surgical scar is rated at 10 percent.,The Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis and instability do not warrant a rating greater than 10 percent.,A separate 10 percent rating for right knee instability has been granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the threshold requirements for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) during the specified rating periods. There is no evidence of inability to perform sedentary employment due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to obtain her service treatment records and private medical records, particularly those related to Dr. Ober.

The Veteran's claim for SMC prior to January 13, 2020 was denied as he did not meet the criteria for SMC. However, from January 13, 2020, his TDIU based on his acquired psychiatric disability satisfied the requirement for a single disability rated total and combined with other disabilities, met the criteria for SMC.

The Veteran's right arm scar, which is stable and non-tender with a total area of less than 929 square centimeters, has been rated as noncompensable under Diagnostic Code 7805. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence does not support a compensable rating for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for an updated VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected scars, including any post-service surgeries that may have affected them.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased rating have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeals.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and compensable ratings for left knee disability, left knee scars, and right knee scars were denied. The Board found that the Veteran's left knee degenerative arthritis did not meet or approximate criteria for a higher rating based on limitation of motion.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied in 1994, and he did not have any pending appeals at the time of his death. The Board found that the evidence does not show that the Veteran's service-connected scars warranted a compensable rating.

The Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder is granted as it is presumed due to an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness.,Service connection for the thyroid disorder is denied because there is no evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for further evaluation and consideration of his claims. The initial disability rating for anxiety disorder remains denied, but other issues are pending.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his anxiety disorder and left ankle degenerative arthritis with history of sprain and instability, do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's service-connected right knee disability, finding that her symptoms did not meet or approximate criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for an examination to assess his functional limitations due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's initial compensable ratings for left ear hearing loss and scar (right hand) status post laceration were denied.,Service connection for a left ankle disorder was also denied.