Scars decisions — 2023

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the Veteran's current need for aid and attendance or housebound status due to his service-connected disabilities. The Veteran needs regular assistance with activities of daily living, including dressing, feeding, and attending to personal hygiene.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA clinician to provide an opinion on how the Veteran's medications for her service-connected shoulder disabilities affect her ability to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's left-hand scar was not rated higher than 10 percent, as it did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent from May 15, 2018.,A 100 percent disability rating was granted for the right knee replacement from May 10, 2021 to May 10, 2022. However, a higher rating greater than 30 percent is denied as of May 11, 2022.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for scars of the head and face prior to June 8, 2017, is denied. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for scars of the head and face from June 8, 2017, is also denied.

The Veteran's service connection claim for prostate cancer and increased rating for left knee scar were both denied. The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure during service, and the Veteran's prostate cancer was not related to his military service. For the left knee scar, a 10 percent rating is granted but the Veteran does not meet the criteria for higher ratings.

The Veteran's service connection claims for arachnoid cyst, dry eyes (residual of PRK), and acid reflux have been granted. Service connection was denied for corneal opacity (residual of PRK) and tinea pedis. The Veteran's initial compensable ratings for hemorrhoids and umbilical hernia repair scar were also denied.

The Veteran's right knee scars were rated at 10 percent from January 22, 2019 to June 14, 2022. From June 15, 2022 to October 6, 2022, she received a 20 percent rating for her painful right knee and upper back scars. The Veteran's appeal was granted with the effective date being from October 7, 2022.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the claims on appeal can be decided. The Veteran and his representative are being given an opportunity to submit any outstanding private or VA treatment records relevant to their claims, including updated VA treatment records since the last decision in January 2018 and February 2019.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to September 30, 2013 for service connection of PTSD with MDD, anxiety, and insomnia is granted.,A compensable disability rating of 10 percent is granted for deep and non-linear gunshot wound scars of the anterior chest and trunk from September 18, 2013 to September 20, 2018.,A disability rating in excess of 20 percent is denied for deep and non-linear gunshot wound scars of the anterior chest and trunk from September 20, 2018 onwards.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for linear scars of the right knee and anterior trunk is denied.

The Veteran's appeals for a compensable rating for a scar from sebaceous cyst removal, service connection for a right hand injury, sleep disturbance, and an undiagnosed illness or MUCMI due to Persian Gulf War service have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a sinus condition and asthma has been granted. The Board found that the Veteran meets all necessary criteria for presumptive service connection based on exposure to fine particulate matter in Southwest Asia during his service.

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

The Veteran's service-connected obstructive sleep apnea is granted. The Veteran's bipolar disorder, hypertension, alveolar fracture of the jaw, deviated nasal septum with scar, and diabetes mellitus are all found to have been caused by or aggravated by his service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that further development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for a left shoulder disorder and a scar on his nose bridge due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for her right hip arthroplasty scars have been denied. The current rating of 10 percent is maintained for the scars, and a noncompensable rating remains for the initial scar rating.,The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings based on deep or underlying soft tissue damage, pain affecting motion, or other compensable effects.

The Board has remanded the restoration of service connection claims for cervical spine arthritis, lumbar spine arthritis, bilateral shoulder arthritis, right thumb arthritis, and scar formation due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's conditions may be related to his pre-existing polyarthralgia or osteoarthritis.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for TDIU from June 9, 2009, finding that his service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been withdrawn. The Board has remanded the remaining issues of entitlement to increased ratings for posterior trunk scar, bilateral lower extremities burn scars, muscle damage, and nerve damage due to service-connected posterior trunk scar.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been reopened, and both conditions are now granted. The appeal is also granted for the evaluation of left shoulder tendonitis and left clavicle spur, lumbar spondylosis and osteophytosis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), uterine fibroids, migraines, hypertension, residual scar from ventral hernia repair, anxiety, memory loss, sleep disturbances, knee disorder, and fibromyalgia. The appeal is remanded for further evaluations and determinations on these issues.

Service connection for a scar over the right eyebrow is granted.,Service connection for an ingrown toenail on the right big toe, to include residuals thereof, is denied.

The Veteran's scars of the left middle and ring fingers have not been shown to be painful or unstable, thus not meeting the criteria for a compensable rating.,The Veteran's residuals of left middle and ring finger trauma (non-dominant) has manifested by unfavorable ankylosis of the long and ring fingers, warranting a 20 percent rating under DC 5219.