Scars decisions — 2025

The veteran's appeal requests for the issues of right jaw injury and facial scar, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were denied as untimely filed.

The Board granted service connection for PTSD and right hand scar, but denied service connection for other claimed conditions including diabetes type II, erectile dysfunction, headaches, heart disease, obstructive sleep apnea, left shoulder injury, left hand injury, lower back injury, right shoulder injury, upper back injury, and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Board denied service connection for brain tumor, left knee instability, and left ear scar. However, it granted a 10 percent rating for the Veteran's left knee meniscectomy.

The Board denied service connection for a higher initial rating for psychotic disorder, a compensable rating for scalp scar, and service connection for TBI. However, the Board granted service connection for headaches.

The Board granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, solar lentigines, and acne as manifestations of a medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness (MUCMI), while denying an increased rating for PTSD with residuals of traumatic brain injury. The Board also granted initial ratings for migraine and tension headaches, right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, and left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Board denied a compensable evaluation for scars of the anterior trunk and remanded claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction, hemorrhoids, hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disability, to include major depressive disorder and anxiety.

The Board granted service connection for a back disability, left ankle disability, and right elbow disability after new evidence was submitted. The claim for a right shoulder disability was denied. Various knee and scar ratings were either granted or denied.

The appeal was dismissed because the Veteran's submission of a Board appeal on the same issue as a duty to assist error identified during HLR was an impermissible concurrent election.

All appeals for higher initial ratings and service connection were dismissed as they were duplicative of previously addressed appeals or due to untimely filings.

The Board dismissed the claims for earlier effective dates and a compensable rating for erectile dysfunction, as the evidence did not support an earlier date of entitlement or a higher rating.

The appeal for service connection for right upper extremity, right lower extremity, and anterior trunk burn scar residuals has been withdrawn by the Veteran's representative.

The Board granted the extension of the temporary evaluation of 100 percent for the Veteran's left shoulder joint replacement and Special Monthly Compensation from March 1, 2024 to January 31, 2025. The claims for increased evaluations and TDIU were remanded.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection and increased rating for various disabilities, all starting from January 1, 2023.

The Board granted service connection for several conditions effective April 16, 2007, but no earlier, and denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for constipation. SMC based on the need for aid and attendance was granted from August 30, 2013.

The Board granted service connection for vein scar, left upper extremity as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hemochromatosis.

The Board granted a 10 percent disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected anterior chest and base of penis scar, but denied a compensable disability rating for his reoccurring hydrocele and varicocele condition and special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a creative organ.

The appeal was dismissed due to a procedural defect involving concurrent elections for review.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for residuals of a left foot soft tissue injury and a separate compensable rating for a left-forefoot scar, as additional evidence is needed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for post spermatocele scar as the area of the scar did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities, denied service connection for bilateral flat feet, respiratory disability, vertigo, and a compensable rating for bilateral hydrocele. The claim for service connection for kidney disability was granted, and a 10 percent rating for hypertension was assigned.