Scars decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for surgical scarring status post cesarean section and revision procedure is denied as the evidence does not show underlying soft tissue damage or an area of 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater.

The Board has granted an initial 10 percent rating for the Veteran's scar from open reduction internal fixation of fractured distal right fibula, effective February 24, 2014. The decision is based on the Veteran's painful and non-unstable scar.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, Chronic disease, lumbosacral strain, right knee disability, migraines, tinnitus, scar, and hearing loss, prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted the TDIU.

The Veteran's seborrheic dermatitis and lichen planopilaris with scarring alopecia of the scalp is rated at a maximum 60 percent since December 11, 2016.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, and his employment from January 2016 to March 2019 was considered marginal due to a work-related motor vehicle accident.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including migraine headaches, IBS, left ankle disability, and tinnitus, rendered him unable to secure or follow any form of substantially gainful employment prior to April 17, 2018. The Board granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates and increased ratings have been dismissed.,Issues related to service connection, disability ratings, and effective dates are being remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to July 15, 2013.

The Board has remanded the issue of entitlement to a total rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to March 26, 2014 due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's ability to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings and an earlier effective date for his scars, finding that the criteria were not met for any of these issues.

The Board has remanded the claims for scars with disfigurement due to pseudofolliculitis barbae and painful scars due to pseudofolliculitis barbae, as it is unclear whether or not the photographs from the December 2019 VA examination are in the record.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims for various conditions involving the Veteran's wrists, thumbs, and shin. The decision is due to the Veteran's death.

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

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has found that there is new and material evidence to support his claims. However, the claim for service connection for a skin disorder, including basal cell carcinoma due to exposure to herbicide agents, remains remanded as VA medical opinion is needed.

The Board has granted the appeal for severance of service connection for non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, status post surgical treatment, scar and restored it from June 1, 2012.,The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for tineas cruris is remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration. The Veteran's pes planus, hypertension, TDIU, and nonservice-connected pension benefits based on permanent and total disability claims are all pending.

The Board has remanded the claims for sleep apnea, irritable bowel syndrome, scarring of the occipital scalp, and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine. The Veteran's service connection claims are being reviewed due to incomplete in-service records and new examinations are required.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a new medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities result in the loss or loss of use of his lower extremities.

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

The Veteran's hypertension is remanded for further examination and opinion. The issues of service connection for ischemic heart disease with chronic congestive heart failure, status post triple bypass surgery (also claimed as coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease) and post-operative scars are also remanded due to their direct relationship to the hypertension issue.