Scars decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claims for service connection and rating for various conditions have been denied. The Board has identified errors in the remand directives and will need to be corrected.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for earlier effective dates for service-connected Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Chronic Headaches, painful abdomen scars, and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.

The Veteran's prostate cancer, linear suprapubic scar, and erectile dysfunction are all granted with effective dates of October 1, 2020.,Special monthly compensation for loss of use of a creative organ is also granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including back disability, left foot disability, TBI, and forehead scar, are not related to his in-service motor vehicle accident due to intoxication. The MVA was found to be caused by the Veteran's own willful misconduct.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability, including degenerative arthritis and acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, is related to his service in the Airborne units where he performed many jumps. Service connection for this condition is granted.,While the Veteran has a history of sinus symptoms, no current diagnosis of a separate sinus condition other than vasomotor rhinitis was found during the pendency of the claim. Therefore, service connection for a sinus condition (other than service-connected vasomotor rhinitis) is denied.,There are no scars on the Veteran's trunk as diagnosed or noted in his medical records. Service connection for a trunk scar is denied.,The Veteran has been diagnosed with bilateral knee scars during the pendency of the claim, and these were not related to service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to a duty to assist error involving employment records from his former employers.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including major depressive disorder and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with radiculopathy, prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating, service connection for migraine headaches, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are being remanded due to inadequate VA examinations and the need for additional medical opinions considering potential exposure to toxic substances during his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right dorsal hand scar, finding that it resulted from a 2018 surgery due to a post-service snowboarding injury and not as a result of the service-connected right-hand boxer fracture during service in 2008.

The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder is linked to his high blood pressure, which has been granted a disability rating of 10 percent.,The Veteran's right hand burn scars are painful and cover an area less than 929 square centimeters, qualifying for a 10 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's appeal regarding his service-connected perifolliculitis capitis with scarring alopecia and PTSD has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals.

The Veteran's appeals to increase ratings for facial scars and herpes types I and II were withdrawn. The claims of increased ratings for left and right knee disabilities have been dismissed as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU were denied, while the claim for an effective date for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) was granted.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses for services provided by the appellant on July 17, 2019 were denied as there was no indication of prior authorization and the treatment did not meet the criteria for emergency medical care.

The Veteran's chest keloid scars have been granted a 30 percent disability rating, effective May 27, 2019.,The appeal for an earlier effective date for the Veteran's chest keloid scars has been dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a scar on his right shoulder and therefore denied service connection for this condition. The claim of entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disability is remanded due to a potential lack of nexus between the injury in service and any current disability.

The Board has remanded the cases due to a failure to ensure that all VA treatment records, including those from the VA Choice System and VISTA imaging system, were associated with the claims file.

The Veteran's appeal for reopening his claim of service connection for residual scar of the left eyeball and flat feet with severe pain has been dismissed due to a request by his attorney to withdraw the appeal.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection and initial compensable rating for the left leg lipoma removal scar residuals and right hip lipoma removal scar residuals at a hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation for the period between July 8, 2019, to September 29, 2021. The Board has granted TDIU during this period.