Scars decisions — 2025

The Board restored the 10 percent rating for GERD, denied increased ratings for other conditions, and remanded service connection claims.

The veteran withdrew his appeal prior to the promulgation of a decision, and all claims were dismissed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) as it was not factually ascertainable that he was unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to April 28, 2016.

The Board denied an initial rating higher than 10 percent for residual scars from basal cell carcinoma and remanded the claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for right upper extremity neuropathy and painful scars of the right hand and arm, as the evidence did not support an earlier claim.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea and chest pains, and denied increased ratings for various conditions including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cluster headaches with dizziness, scar, painful scar, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, eczematoid dermatitis, and GERD with irritable bowel syndrome. The Board granted a restoration of the 30 percent rating for GERD with IBS and granted TDIU.

The appeal for service connection and initial rating claims has been withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD alone rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment from December 13, 2006, such that entitlement to a TDIU is warranted from that date.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral flatfoot and acne scars due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including missing personnel records and inadequate medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various disabilities, including a lumbar spine disability and radiculopathies of both lower extremities, as well as left inguinal hernia and its scar.

The Board granted restoration of the 10 percent rating for right and left hip limitation of extension, denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for back disability, and denied increased ratings for other conditions.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and residuals of boils on buttocks, but granted service connection for sleep apnea.

The Board denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's horizontal scar of lower abdominal area, anterior trunk as there was no evidence showing that the condition met the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board granted service connection for several conditions, including lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and radiculopathy of the sciatic and femoral nerves, with effective dates from March 15, 2013. The Board also granted a TDIU and DEA based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected headaches were granted a rating of 50 percent, and she was also granted TDIU, DEA, and SMC for the period from March 27, 2017, to August 20, 2017.

The Board granted earlier effective dates of March 26, 2012 for service connection for coronary artery disease and associated scars post quadruple bypass.

The Board remands the claims for higher staged ratings and initial ratings in excess of 10 percent, 20 percent, and 10 percent for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, right lower extremity, and residual painful surgical scar, posterior trunk respectively, to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board granted a 30 percent rating for headaches with auras and a 10 percent rating for temporomandibular joint disorders, unspecified. Service connection was denied for various conditions including disabilities causing numbness, hearing loss, hip and spine issues, chest pain, dizziness, erectile dysfunction, psychiatric disorder, wrist disability, shortness of breath, ankle and eye pain, and sleep apnea.

The Board granted a 100 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), but denied service connection for a right ankle disability, an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, a compensable rating for renal insufficiency as a residual of rhabdomyolysis, and other claims.

The Board granted the appeal and restored service connection for GERD with cirrhosis of the liver, cholelithiasis with chronic cholecystitis, and surgical and painful right subcostal scars, s/p cholecystectomy. The claim for readjudication of PTSD was also granted, while other claims were denied.