Scars decisions — 2025

The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities to correct the pre-decisional duty to assist error and to obtain an adequate VA examination and medical opinion.

The Board granted the restoration of a 20 percent evaluation for service-connected bilateral temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction effective June 23, 2022, and denied increased ratings for other conditions.

The Board denied increased ratings for various service-connected conditions, including trauma- and stressor-related disorder, diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction, knee disabilities, and scars.

The Board granted the veteran's appeal and reinstated a 10 percent disability rating for painful scars effective July 22, 2022, due to improper reduction of the rating.

The Board remands the claims for further development due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection and initial ratings for various conditions, including a scar on back of neck/head, right hip limited abduction, adduction, and rotation, PTSD, OSA, hip stress fractures, tibia stress fracture, foot pes planus, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), and erectile dysfunction (ED).

The Board granted service connection for residuals of a left wrist injury, left calf scar, and right elbow lateral epicondylitis. The claims for residuals of a left calf injury and left shoulder impingement syndrome were remanded.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to the combined effects of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted restoration of a 10 percent disability rating for hypertension, while dismissing appeals for compensable ratings for certain surgical scars and maxillary sinusitis. The Board also remanded several issues including service connection for residuals of left varicocelectomy, to include a hydrocele, and other disability ratings.

The Board granted a separate 20 percent rating for limited motion of the right shoulder associated with the service-connected scar on the right back trunk, effective May 26, 2023. Other claims were denied.

The Board granted a separate 10 percent rating for the painful scar of the posterior trunk and remanded claims for increased ratings for lumbar spine herniated disc and right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board granted service connection for monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, prostate cancer, hypertension, a cardiac disability, pubis scar as secondary to prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction as secondary to prostate cancer, and special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a creative organ. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for an acquired psychiatric disorder was denied, as were the claims for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board granted a 40 percent disability rating for diabetes mellitus effective August 7, 2018, and denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for PTSD.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable evaluation for various conditions, including left ear hearing loss, right inguinal hernia, breast hypertrophy, Raynaud's syndrome, and scar from inguinal hernia repair.

The Board denied increased ratings for various service-connected conditions, including trauma- and stressor-related disorder, diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction, knee disabilities, and scars.

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to her service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's service-connected left renal calculi and chronic kidney disease, scar, status post-excision left brachial cleft cyst, transient motion sickness, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for the award of service connection for CAD, type II diabetes mellitus, and prostate cancer, as well as initial ratings for CAD, linear left upper chest scar, type II diabetes mellitus, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and erectile dysfunction.

The Board granted a 50 percent disability rating for PTSD from August 4, 2021, and denied increased ratings or service connection for corneal scarring of the right eye, left ear hearing loss, and right ear hearing loss.