Scars decisions — 2025

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that the evidence did not support a compensable rating or service connection for any of the conditions appealed.

The Board remands the claims for an earlier effective date for service connection for various conditions, due to a failure to provide notice of the Veteran's right to a hearing.

The Board granted a 10 percent disability rating for the service-connected scar, status-post appendectomy, but denied all other claims for increased ratings and service connection.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection and increased ratings for the veteran's bilateral tinnitus, left foot disability (4th and 5th digit extensor tendonitis), and left foot scars.

The Board denied increased ratings for the lumbar spine disability, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy (femoral), posterior trunk scars, and painful scars. However, it granted a rating of 40 percent for the lumbar spine disability from August 30, 2022, an earlier effective date of April 10, 2019, for service connection for painful trunk scars, and an earlier effective date of November 9, 2020, for TDIU and DEA.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for lumbar strain but denied higher ratings and service connection for other conditions.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for right foot pes planus, status-post navicular spur and a separate 20 percent rating for right foot plantar fasciitis. The claim for a higher rating for sinusitis with headaches was denied.

The Board denied increased ratings for multiple service-connected conditions and denied service connection for several additional conditions, including tinnitus, chronic sinusitis, left sciatic radicular pain of the left leg, traumatic brain injury (TBI), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic fatigue syndrome, and a back disorder.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable disability rating and service connection due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's request for an earlier effective date prior to July 14, 2021, for service connection for various conditions.

The Board denied service connection for high cholesterol, a right knee disability, and an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of stomach cancer, painful scar. The claim for a compensable rating for stomach cancer with GERD was remanded.

The Board granted service connection for a left breast mass condition and denied increased ratings for a trunk scar above the right breast and bilateral hearing loss. Several claims were remanded.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals remands the service connection claims for various conditions due to a need for an updated certificate of discharge determination and outstanding VA treatment records.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for service connection and a compensable evaluation for the veteran's conditions due to lack of formal or informal communication regarding these benefits.

The Board granted a 10 percent rating for hypertension, but denied higher ratings for scars of the left and right thigh, plantar fasciitis of the left foot, hip and knee osteoarthritis, and service connection for various conditions including erectile dysfunction, lumbar spine pain, TBI, and cervical spine pain.

The Board denied an initial rating higher than 0 percent for the Veteran's midline sternotomy scar based on the evidence showing it covers less than 929 square centimeters and is not painful.

The Board granted restoration of a 10 percent rating for the disfiguring nose scar and a 50 percent rating for PTSD, effective September 1, 2024 and September 1, 2022 respectively. The Board also granted TDIU and DEA eligibility.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for eligibility for specially adapted housing, a special home adaptation grant, and financial assistance in purchasing an automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment. The claim of CUE in the September 14, 2017, rating decision was also denied.

The Board remands the claims for a compensable initial evaluation rating for lipoma of the right temporal region and service connection for scar, left upper back due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) as she did not meet the criteria for SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s).