Scars decisions — 2025

The Board granted an effective date of December 30, 1998, for the award of service connection for injuries to muscle groups V, VII, and XV but denied initial compensable ratings for these disabilities. The appeal was dismissed for other claims.

The Board granted service connection for a scar, status post right eyebrow laceration, based on the Veteran's in-service injury and ongoing symptoms.

The Board remands the claim for a VA examination to address whether the Veteran's chest scar is related to her active service, specifically a burn from an M16 shell during basic training.

The Board granted service connection for a skin disorder manifested by blistering scarring lesions, attributing it to herbicide exposure in service.

The Board granted service connection for left wrist, left ankle, and tender and painful scars on the left shin and right ankle. The issues of increased ratings and earlier effective dates for certain conditions were dismissed or remanded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings, finding no evidence of current disabilities related to his service.

The Board remands the claims for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's skin disability and further development is needed prior to adjudication of the Veteran's claim of service connection for a psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied service connection for a chest scar, bilateral foot condition, and bilateral knee condition. The claims for hypogonadism and back condition were remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to August 10, 2022, for the grant of service connection for papulosquamous lesions and remanded several other issues related to service connection, disability ratings, special monthly compensation, and TDIU.

The Board granted a separate 10 percent disability rating for acne but denied compensable ratings for seborrheic keratosis with sebaceous cysts and posterior trunk scars.

The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining private treatment records and a VA examination to determine the severity of the Veteran's lumbar spondylitic changes at L4-L5 and lumbar degenerative disc disease, left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and bony deformity of the mandible.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims for increased ratings and service connection for various disabilities due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection, as the claims were not timely filed or the evidence did not support a nexus to service.

The Board granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (m) level based on loss of use of both hands, legs, and for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected scar disabilities.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of July 30, 2023 for the increased rating of allergic rhinitis and denied it for the skin disability and facial scars.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and higher initial ratings for various service-connected conditions, including PTSD, posttraumatic headaches, painful scars of the posterior skull, and scars of the posterior skull.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss on an aggravation basis and denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's pilonidal cyst scar.

The Board denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to August 10, 2022 and special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate.

The Board remands the claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for scar, dorsal aspect of right hand, a compensable rating for residuals of laceration of the right hand, and service connection for limited range of motion of the right hand to correct duty to assist errors.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the remaining claims on appeal due to missing service treatment records that were later located.