Scars decisions — 2024

The Board has granted an effective date of May 23, 2015 for the appellant's service connection claims for a back disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy.,Prior to this decision, the earliest claim received by VA was on August 7, 2017.

The Veteran's service connection claim for COPD is denied. The Board finds that there is no medical or scientific evidence to support a relationship between the development of COPD and exposure to herbicides and/or asbestos.,The appeals for increased disability evaluations for coronary artery disease post CABG, scar, post CABG, and bilateral hearing loss are dismissed because they result from a prohibited concurrent election under the modernized review system. The Veteran's claims for sleep apnea are remanded.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of September 30, 2013 for the grant of service connection for a left ankle disability and left ankle scar.

The Board has remanded the claims for prostate cancer, gout, and internal hemorrhoids due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's exposure to toxins during service. The claims will be reconsidered with the inclusion of an Individual Exposure Record (ILER).

The Board has determined that additional medical examinations are needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions. The appeal is being remanded for these purposes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is caused by his service-connected disabilities, including lumbosacral strain, bilateral plantar fasciitis with calcaneal spurs, chronic fatigue syndrome, and other conditions. As such, the claim for service connection for OSA is granted.

The Board has restored service connection for left wrist scar and denied entitlement to a compensable rating for post-traumatic arthritis s/p left ring finger fracture. Service connection for mitral valve prolapse, heart murmur is remanded.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of left foot sesamoidectomy due to a full grant in favor. The Veteran's left foot scars were granted a compensable rating, but denied any increase beyond that.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right hip surgical scars and right hip painful scars were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under applicable VA regulations.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for renal cell carcinoma and partial nephrectomy scar have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran during the appeal process.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal. The Board cannot issue a decision on the underlying claims and must dismiss this appeal for lack of jurisdiction at this time.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD, TBI, tension headaches, a lumbar spine compression fracture, a right elbow fracture, scars of the right forearm, neuropathy of the right upper extremity, a right wrist fracture, and tinnitus previously found to be service connected for treatment purposes only is dismissed. Service connection for a right knee disability is granted.

The Board has remanded the case to the VA's Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration of the Veteran's TDIU claim due to service-connected disabilities prior to October 16, 2015.

The Board remands the matter for another attempt at securing a VA examination due to lack of substantial compliance with previous directives.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple claims for increased disability ratings and TDIU. The Board has identified several records that are not in the claims file, including SSA records and VA treatment records from VistA Imaging system. These records may be relevant to the instant appeals.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to the withdrawal of his appeal by his authorized representative.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's service connection for a right upper extremity neurological disability is granted.,Service connection for urinary frequency is granted, with the condition being secondary to hypertension.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is granted. The onset of OSA during active-duty service is noted.,The Veteran's scar on top of his head from an in-service injury is found to be related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for cervical spine condition, lumbar spine condition, right knee condition, and right ankle sprain to obtain new opinions. The claim for scar left eye/cheek is denied as no new relevant evidence was submitted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, stab wound residuals, and left upper lumbar paraspinal wound with tender scar, rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board found that his service-connected conditions prevented him from performing the physical tasks required for a security guard position.