Scars decisions — 2024

The Board dismissed the appeals for increased ratings of left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome and right knee surgical scars. The appeal for an increased rating of PTSD was also dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not interfere with his ability to work, thus the claim for a combined noncompensable evaluation is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to August 7, 2020.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for service connection of a surgical scar on the right knee due to incomplete records and further verification needed.

The Veteran's left lower extremity scar is currently rated at 10% and the Board finds no evidence to warrant a higher rating based on current symptomatology.

The Veteran's death was not due to his own willful misconduct, and he had a combined 70% service-connected disability rating at the time of his death. However, since none of his service-connected disabilities were rated as totally disabling, the criteria for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 are not met.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates and service connection claims have been remanded due to insufficient development of medical records and exposure history.

The Board has denied service connection for right eye disability and left eye disability, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's hypertension is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, but a higher rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's left eye macular scar with optic neuropathy is currently rated as 30 percent disabling, and a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and conducting a VA examination. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities include PTSD, major depressive disorder, cervical strain, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with thoracic scoliosis, hemorrhoids, left knee strain, tinnitus, painful left foot scar, degenerative joint disease of the left foot with hallux valgus, Crohn's disease status post colectomy, and a right leg condition.

The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating for GERD and scar, status/post arthroscopic surgery, right elbow were denied. The Board found that the medical evidence did not support ratings in excess of the current assigned ratings.

The Board has granted compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for nerve damage of the right eye, right orbital fracture residuals, three painful facial scars above the right eye, chronic headaches, and dizziness, finding that these conditions were caused by an event not reasonably foreseeable.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for a hernia repair scar and postoperative left inguinal hernia was denied. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including paranoid schizophrenia, is also denied.,The Board has remanded the case to allow for further examination of the Veteran's left knee disability.

The Veteran was found to be unemployable due to service-connected disabilities from September 30, 2011 to September 25, 2019. The Board determined that the service-connected conditions significantly impeded his ability to maintain substantially gainful employment during this period.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder impingement and degenerative AC joint disease, right eye disability (retinal disorder, cataracts, blepharitis, dry eye syndrome, macula scars of posterior pole), 4th and 5th left toe stress fracture residuals, and cervical spine disability. Service connection was denied for a right wrist/hand disability and left knee disability.

The Board denied the claim for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis, finding that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for facial scars, finding that there is no evidence to support that the currently diagnosed scars were incurred in or caused by service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are remanded due to insufficient examination reports and medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for low back disability and assigned a noncompensable rating to the Veteran's left foot disability, bilateral testicular torsion s/p orchiotomy, and residual scar associated with bilateral testicular torsion s/p orchiotomy.,For his left foot disability, the Veteran was granted an initial 30 percent rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been granted. The right clavicle fracture, right clavicle scar, left knee strain and joint osteoarthritis, and arterioslerotic heart disease are all found to be related to service. A rating of 30 percent has been assigned for bilateral hearing loss from October 28, 2019 through February 5, 2023.