Scars Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has reopened the claim and found that new evidence supports a grant of service connection for residuals of pneumonia, but finds no causal link to active service.

The Veteran's tinea pigmentosa and residual scar due to removal of a cyst from the left knee have been rated appropriately with an initial compensable rating for tinea pigmentosa and a 10 percent rating for the residual scar.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of frozen hands and feet, as new evidence did not establish an etiological link to service. The claim for increased evaluation for gunshot wound to the left scapula was granted with a 20% rating based on limitation of abduction at the shoulder level. The claim for scars, residuals of gunshot wound to the left paraspinal area, was denied as noncompensable.

The Veteran's hepatitis C was increased to a 60 percent rating effective May 16, 2008. His gastritis and appendectomy scar were not granted an increase in ratings.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to a need for clarification of the nature and etiology of his neurological symptoms, as well as further examination to determine if there are any residual conditions related to his left wrist injury.

The Veteran's service-connected eczema with slight nondisfiguring scars on the cheeks does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 30 percent due to the lack of evidence supporting a need for systemic therapy or involvement of more than 40 percent of exposed skin areas.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected anterior chest scars was denied by the Board. The evidence did not show that the Veteran met the criteria for a higher rating due to lack of underlying soft tissue damage or limitation of musculoskeletal function.

The appellant has withdrawn his appeal, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's left hand fibrolipoma removal scar is rated at a 10 percent disability rating, but no more. The scar is painful and superficial, meeting the criteria for a 10 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 7804.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for the scar of his neck was denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis or impairment that would warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's scar on the left chin is evaluated at a non-compensable (0%) level. The RO has granted service connection for this condition and assigned an effective date from the date of claim. For his right deviated septum, the RO denied entitlement to increased ratings prior to September 15, 2008, and from that date forward.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeals for increased evaluations of his service-connected degenerative joint disease, right knee and scar, right knee.

The Board found that the cause of the Veteran's death, hepatocellular carcinoma of the liver, was not related to his military service and did not find any evidence linking it to Agent Orange exposure. The claim for service connection for the cause of death is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for the residuals of a head injury, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, memory loss, headaches, tinnitus, postural vertigo and status post loss of consciousness, and scar of the left ear is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of pneumonia, including scarring of the right lung base and obstructive airway disease is being remanded due to incomplete records and need for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he is capable of working in a sedentary employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities, low back disability, hepatitis C, and multiple forehead scars. The Veteran is currently rated at 40% for his degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left thumb scarring is a residual of a shell fragment wound sustained during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the minimum percentage requirements for a TDIU, and these disabilities are not shown to prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.