Scars decisions — 2025

The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and a higher initial rating, granting only a 40 percent evaluation for his lumbar spine disability.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for right lower extremity (RLE) sciatic nerve radiculopathy from March 1, 2020, to August 4, 2020, and denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis with stenosis during the same period. The Board also denied other claims including service connection for residuals of head injury, traumatic brain injury (TBI), an initial compensable rating for posterior trunk scar, and effective dates prior to November 1, 2020, for separate ratings for sciatic and femoral nerve radiculopathies.

The Board granted service connection for a right ankle disability but dismissed the appeals for hypothyroidism, bilateral tinnitus, and left-hand condition.

The Board denied an initial compensable disability rating for sinusitis and remanded the remaining service connection claims to correct a duty to assist error.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including migraines, tinnitus, sleep disorder, recurrent fainting, bowel condition, hysterectomy, ovarian cysts, scar tissue, miscarriage, fibroids, heavy menstruation, skin disorder, hair loss condition, and stiff-man syndrome, due to gaps in the Veteran's service treatment records and inadequate medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a neck disability and burn scars, finding that the evidence did not support a causal relationship between these conditions and her military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for a scar, status-post varicocele excision and left scrotum varicocele excision, as well as special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a creative organ.

The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, intervertebral disc syndrome, status post lumbar surgery, and associated radiculopathies of the lower extremities, as well as painful scars due to lower back surgery, effective July 17, 2018.

The Board denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's trunk scars, status post abdominal laparotomy and orchiectomy, as the evidence did not show that the scars met the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and a scar, left neck. The claims for insomnia, Dequervain's syndrome, right wrist, and Dequervain's syndrome and triangular fibrocartilaginous complex injury, left wrist, were remanded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased evaluation for PTSD, service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and various other disorders due to a lack of evidence supporting their presence or relationship to military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for abdominal scars resulting from a cholecystectomy, as the evidence did not show that the scars met the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board denied ratings in excess of the current levels for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus but granted a 60 percent rating and a 100 percent rating for coronary artery disease effective October 30, 2020, along with special monthly compensation.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for eczema, residual scars of eczema, hyperkeratosis, right hand palm, and migraines to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board granted service connection for residuals of left index finger injury to include scar, finding that the Veteran's current disability is caused by an in-service injury.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, and a scar, as well as special monthly compensation based on loss of use of creative organ.

The Board dismissed service connection for a thyroid condition and ovarian cancer, as these conditions were already granted in a previous rating decision. The remaining issues are remanded for further development.

The Board granted service connection for a deviated septum, left foot condition (to include hallux valgus with hammer toe, status post bunionectomy), and right foot condition (claimed as crossover toe, bunion and deformity) based on the evidence showing that these conditions are causally linked to the Veteran's military service.

All appeals for service connection and effective dates were dismissed by the Veteran's attorney.