Scars decisions — 2022

The Veteran's service-connected obstructive sleep apnea is granted as it is proximately due to his obesity caused by his service-connected lumbar spine disability.,Service connection for a right upper arm scar is granted. The scar is considered ancillary to the Veteran's service-connected right upper arm disabilities.

The Veteran's abdominal scars and painful abdominal scars have been rated based on their current status, with the right ankle scar being noncompensable. The case is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, migraines, and physical impairments of the right shoulder, knees, back, and eyes, render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU effective November 2, 2015.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee sprain, right eye laceration scar, and TBI due to incomplete medical records and failure to attend scheduled VA examinations.

The Veteran's scars, multiple sites, are granted a disability rating of 30 percent prior to May 23, 2022, and beginning May 23, 2022. The highest schedular rating under Diagnostic Code 7804 is awarded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and work experience.

The Veteran's skin condition, including marked fibrosis, atrophy, and scarring of the scalp (nuchal keloid), folliculitis associated with ingrown hair, alopecia, and other symptoms, is rated as 50 percent since April 9, 2019.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable evaluations for service-connected residuals of inguinal hernia repair and a scar associated with those residuals, finding that there was no evidence of recurrent hernias or unstable scars.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (coronary artery disease, PTSD, and lumbar spine scar) do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The appeal regarding the abdominal scar is dismissed as it was already decided by the Board in August 2020.,An effective date earlier than January 4, 2018 for the award of service connection for vertigo is denied. The earliest possible effective date provided by law is assigned.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need to verify in-service stressors and potential exposure to herbicide agents, as well as to obtain VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his back (and associated scars), left hip, and bilateral knees disorders.

Your initial claim for a compensable disability rating for left knee scars has been denied, and the appeal is dismissed as you have withdrawn your appeal.

The Board has remanded the cases of total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and effective date prior to October 1, 2017 for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits due to inextricably intertwined issues.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for his service-connected eye disability (blepharospasm, PCIOL, photophobia, and conjunctival scar superior under lid, left eye) is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and records.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for their scar, residual of status post appendectomy, has been withdrawn by the representative.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU from April 20, 2009 to February 10, 2015 due to his service-connected disabilities. However, the TDIU from February 11, 2015 is denied as he is already in receipt of a combined schedular rating of 100 percent.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU was granted with an effective date of September 29, 2010. The Board found that the Veteran was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to her service-connected disabilities as of this date.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the passage of time since his last VA examinations and possible worsening of his service-connected disabilities. He must provide updated treatment records, and he will be scheduled for new VA examinations.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for the periods prior to January 19, 2016, as the appellant withdrew all issues in this appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to obtain and maintain gainful employment consistent with his education, training, and work experience.