Scars decisions — 2025

The Board dismissed service connection claims for bruxism, esophagitis, hiatal hernia and GERD, IBS, and denied a right elbow disability claim. The claim for hemorrhoids was remanded.

The Board denied service connection for an eye disability, a disability manifesting in abnormal weight loss, and increased ratings for depressive disorder with anxious distress, scarring alopecia and scarring, and painful, residual scars associated with scarring alopecia. The Board also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service connected disability.

The Board denied service connection for erectile dysfunction, bilateral focal intractable plantar hyperkeratosis, and non-compensable ratings for pseudofolliculitis barbae facial scar and groin scars as well as allergic rhinitis.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for residuals of a gunshot wound to the right calf and a scar, right calf, as further development is needed.

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including headaches, bilateral pes planus, erectile dysfunction, and others, as the evidence did not support a conclusion that these disabilities were incurred in or caused by active military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, as there was no evidence of a medical nexus between the condition and his active duty. The claims for service connection for traumatic brain injury (TBI), scars due to nose injury, and tinnitus were remanded for further development.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, except for bilateral tinnitus which was granted.

The Board denied an initial compensable rating for ilioinguinal neuralgia with neurostimulator but granted a 30 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 7804 for painful scars (status post hernia repair, right anterior shoulder, right posterior shoulder, mid-back, and left gluteus).

The appeal for whether the claims may be processed as a fully developed claim is dismissed as moot.

The Board granted service connection for residuals of spinal fusion surgery with radiculopathy of the right lower extremity and denied an initial compensable rating for a thoracic scar.

The Board granted service connection for a right foot second toe disability, to include hammertoe and claw toe and to include a surgical scar.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 70 percent for the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability and remanded the claim for service connection for a gynecological disability.

The Board granted service connection for post injury scars, finding it at least as likely as not that the Veteran's current scarring is related to his service.

The Veteran's total left hip replacement stress fracture with surgical repair and left leg muscle atrophy was granted a 70 percent rating, but no higher. Other claims for increased ratings were denied.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 50 percent for asbestosis with obstructive sleep apnea, granted a 40 percent rating for lumbar spine disability, and denied ratings in excess of 10 percent for right and left knee disabilities, but granted a 20 percent rating for the right ankle disability.

The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's left upper arm scar and remanded the claim for a new examination to evaluate the severity of his migraine headaches.

The Veteran's cancer residuals were granted a 30 percent rating effective September 1, 2022. The claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for anterior abdominal wall scars were denied.

The Board granted an effective date of August 24, 2009, for the award of service connection for degenerative disc disease, lumbosacral spine, left lower extremity mild sciatic radiculopathy, and right lower extremity mild sciatic radiculopathy. An earlier effective date was denied for the scar associated with degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine.

The Board remands the claims for service connection and higher ratings due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran was granted a 70 percent disability rating for his service-connected PTSD and major depressive disorder from January 24, 2013 to September 6, 2016, but an increased rating of more than 100 percent is not available as a matter of law.