Scars Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for a headscarf injury and alcohol abuse, but denied service connection for headaches and mental disorders. The scar was directly related to the veteran's in-service injury. Service connection for the other conditions is not established as they are not shown to be related to his active duty.

The veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disorder does not render him helpless and in danger in his daily environment, requiring the regular assistance of another individual on a daily basis to accomplish personal self-care.

The veteran's left wrist disability was granted an initial evaluation of 40 percent effective October 11, 2002. His left iliac crest donor site scar remains at a 10 percent evaluation.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence was submitted. The claim for right ear hearing loss is granted as it had its onset during service. The claim for tinnitus is not granted as there is no evidence linking it to service. The rating for shrapnel wound scar on mandible with retained foreign body remains at 10 percent, and the veteran's service-connected hemorrhoids are rated noncompensably disabling.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations were denied. The VA determined that the veteran does not have a dental condition or disability resulting from active military service, and his other service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for compensable evaluations.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his laceration scar of the right lower leg, finding that it did not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent under applicable rating criteria. The appeal is denied.

The veteran's scar on the right forehead is rated at 10 percent, effective from the date of the July 2002 rating decision.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen claims for jungle rot and skin cancer (including basal cell carcinoma and actinic keratosis), both of which are now service-connected.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including additional VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected left index finger disabilities.

The veteran's claim for PTSD was denied as there is no credible evidence of a sufficient stressor to support the diagnosis. The claim for lipomatosis with scars also failed, as the sum of the scar areas did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right lower extremity neuritis and skin graft donor site scar on the right leg, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has determined that the veteran's disability rating for his left upper extremity condition is not greater than 20 percent, as his motion does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Codes 5201 and 5202.

The Board has remanded the case for further evaluation of whether any service-connected disabilities contributed to the veteran's death from acute and chronic respiratory insufficiency, Methicillin-resistant staph aureus pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ischemic heart disease, and chronic aspiration.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher ratings for her service-connected right knee, bilateral pes planus, scar residuals of left lateral breast biopsy, scar residuals of left index finger, and scar residuals of left thumb. The evidence did not show compensable limitation of motion or other factors warranting a higher rating.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for an earlier effective date and higher initial evaluation for service connection of multiple scars on the right side of the face, finding no evidence of a formal or informal claim submitted in the year prior to July 20, 2001. The veteran was granted service connection for these conditions in July 2001.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination to clarify diagnoses and provide nexus opinions regarding any residuals from an in-service auto accident.

The case is being remanded for further development and adjudication, including obtaining additional medical records and conducting a new examination to determine the current severity of the veteran's burn scars.

The VA has granted a disability rating of 30 percent for the veteran's service-connected hidradenitis with residual skin grafts of both axillae and multiple scarring of the neck and buttocks.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination and treatment records, requiring further evaluation of the veteran's service-connected dyshidrotic eczematous dermatitis and any resulting scars.

The Board has granted an initial rating of 10 percent for the service-connected scar, left side of the neck, effective August 11, 2003.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been presented to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for headaches, claimed as secondary to a shell fragment wound of the occipital scalp. The claim is therefore denied.