Scars Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus and a right knee condition. The claim for left foot bunionectomy, claimed as secondary to service-connected postoperative scar of the left foot, remains pending.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities make it impossible for him to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and reconsidering the characterization of his service-connected right elbow disability.

The Veteran's service-connected residual scar of the left forehead does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating under VA's rating schedule.

The Veteran's laceration scar residuals of the right elbow and malaria have not been found to meet or exceed the criteria for a compensable evaluation under VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's service-connected dishydrotic eczema of the hands and feet with recurrent cellulitis, rated at 50 percent, and appendectomy scar, rated noncompensable zero percent, do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claim of service connection for residuals of a head injury, thus denying the reopening of the claim.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating for the scar of the bridge of the nose, reopening service connection petitions for various disabilities, and service connection claims have all been denied. The RO has continued to deny these claims based on lack of new and material evidence or no medical nexus between current conditions and active military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for residuals from a head injury, a scar on the scalp, and bilateral chronic maxillary sinusitis have been denied as there is no evidence of occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency or intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected scars of the right knee, left knee strain, and limitation of flexion of the left knee. The evidence did not support higher ratings under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his low back disability, left ankle disability, healed fibula fracture, and scar have been denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation under applicable rating codes.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to engage in substantially gainful employment, consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not preclude him from obtaining and retaining all forms of substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and work experience.

The Veteran's current disability manifests itself with flare-ups of perianal abscesses that have caused scarring in the rectal and scrotal areas, but his service-connected rating for this condition remains at 30 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected scars have been rated as noncompensable. The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for the scars on the right leg, effective from the date of the initial grant of service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected residual scar of an excision of an ossicle of the right patellar tendon is manifested by pain and tenderness to palpation, resulting in a 10 percent rating since July 27, 2005.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the failure to appear at a scheduled video conference hearing. The claim for increased ratings will be addressed after scheduling another hearing.

The Veteran's death was not due to service-connected causes, and the appellant is not entitled to DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Veteran's PTSD does not meet the criteria for a higher initial disability evaluation, as it does not cause occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. The scar is currently rated at its maximum allowable under current regulations.