Scars decisions — 2022

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for additional VA medical records and completion of a VA Form 21-8940.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to initial and increased evaluations for service-connected painful right wrist scars, right wrist scar with associated tissue damage, and right wrist scar with no associated tissue damage due to additional development needs.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for earlier effective dates and granted a 10 percent rating for lower back scar. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is remanded for further evaluation, including consideration of radiculopathy symptoms.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service-connected, but his claim for scars remains pending and requires further examination.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for initial ratings in excess of 10 percent for service-connected scars, residuals of pseudofolliculitis barbae, and for bilateral great toe onychomycosis due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for the C-section scar and nerve damage associated with it. The issue of service connection for a low back disability is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) on an extraschedular basis, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has decided that a new VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected basal cell carcinoma with hypertrophic scars, as only some parts of his body were examined in the previous VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to January 3, 2017, finding that her service-connected conditions did not render her unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal is REMANDED for additional development of issues including service connection for right leg/ankle, right knee, and left leg/ankle disabilities; increased rating for facial scars; and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include depression and anxiety) and hearing loss, tinnitus, and ear pain. Service connection for a right foot disability is also REMANDED.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a back disability and residuals of a traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as the issue of entitlement to an initial 30 percent evaluation, and no higher, for residual scar status post neck laceration. The Veteran's claims are now pending before VA for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including consideration of a June 2018 VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including migraine headaches and knee conditions, make it impossible for her to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has withdrawn the appeal of the issue regarding entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss. The remaining issues have been remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus, right inguinal hernia residuals, tinnitus, allergic rhinitis, and bilateral hearing loss, have prevented him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment since May 30, 2018. The Board has granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis effective that date.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to missing STRs and SPRs, requiring further development including VA examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain and maintain gainful employment from March 11, 2014 to September 23, 2015. A total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was granted for this period.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an opinion on whether the Veteran's current heart disorders are related to his in-service herbicide exposure or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD is found to be related to his service-connected disabilities, specifically a left thigh muscle injury, a left thigh scar, and a left corneal abrasion. As such, the claim for service connection for PTSD as due to service connected disabilities is granted.

The Board has remanded the cases of bilateral ocular histoplasmosis and scarring of the lungs due to bilateral ocular histoplasmosis for further development. The issues are inextricably intertwined, so both conditions must be addressed together.