Scars decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with asthma and assigned a 10 percent rating for chronic allergic conjunctivitis, while denying service connection for abnormal weight loss.

The Board denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to August 24, 2023.

The Board denied the claims for increased ratings, finding that the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings.

The Board remanded the claims for a new VA examination and opinion regarding the service connection of a left foot disability, as well as additional evidence to support the skin disability claim.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for bilateral hip disabilities and granted temporary total evaluations for convalescence due to surgeries.

The Board denied increased disability evaluations for PTSD with generalized anxiety disorder, right foot hallux valgus, right foot painful scar, and right foot surgical scar. The Board also denied earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection and extensions of a temporary total rating.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, head trauma, and PTSD due to the lack of new and relevant evidence. The Veteran was granted an initial 10% disability rating for migraines but had other claims remanded or denied.

The Board denied increased ratings for PTSD and back disorder, granted an increased rating of 50% for migraine headaches from December 2, 2020, but denied increased ratings for left foot amputation and scars.

The Board restored the 50% rating for bilateral plantar fasciitis with metatarsalgia and degenerative arthritis, denied a higher rating for right foot postoperative scar, and denied increased ratings for other conditions.

The Veteran was granted a 60 percent evaluation for benign prostatic hypertrophy effective February 9, 2021, but no earlier. The claim for a compensable evaluation for hemorrhoids and service connection for a lump on the back of head were denied.

The Board granted the restoration of a 20% rating for Type II diabetes mellitus and a 10% rating for laryngeal cancer residuals, effective November 14, 2020. The Board also granted a 30% rating for dysphagia and a separate 10% rating for neck scar residuals under 7804.

The Board granted an effective date of July 13, 2022, for the grant of service connection for a left hip total joint replacement and a left hip scar, but denied earlier effective dates for other conditions.

The Board granted a 50 percent rating for the Veteran's status post basal cell cancer with squamous cell cancer with residual scarring of the face and neck from June 15, 2023, but denied ratings in excess of 10 percent and 30 percent at other times.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea and other skin conditions, as well as earlier effective dates for the award of service connection and increased ratings for idiopathic rash and associated scarring, and bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea and denied increased ratings for right femur limitation of flexion, right femur limitation of extension, and right knee disability. However, the Board granted a 10 percent rating for right femur limitation of rotation, a 10 percent rating for scar based on characteristics disfigurement (right upper eyelid), and a 10 percent rating for painful scar on the right upper eyelid.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for increased ratings and service connection, finding that June 29, 2021, was the earliest possible date of claim.

The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities on an extraschedular basis, but denied earlier effective dates and increased ratings for the other conditions.

The Board granted an effective date of February 16, 2018, for the award of service connection for linear umbilical scar and left chest scar, but denied earlier effective dates for colon cancer and other conditions.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for multiple residual scars due to left inguinal hernia repair, left carpal tunnel release, and left knee surgeries.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for neck injury scars, hernia, and hernia residual scars as secondary to hernia injury. The claims were denied due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active military service.