Scars Board decisions

The Board granted earlier effective dates of September 3, 2021, for service connection for COPD, colon cancer, colectomy scar, and eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, denied increased ratings for the right foot stress fracture and scars, restored a 40% rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, and denied earlier effective dates for TDIU and DEA. The Board remanded claims for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability and increased evaluations for the low back and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board granted service connection for anxiety disorder, acne, heart palpitations/mitral valve prolapse, irritable bowel syndrome and esophagitis, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy, effective April 1, 2017. It denied an earlier effective date for migraines, pes planus, plantar fasciitis, and hallux valgus.

The Veteran was granted a 30 percent rating for five painful scars and a total disability based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) from November 25, 2020. Other claims were denied.

The Board granted service connection for left ankle strain, right ankle strain, and right foot strain effective January 28, 2022, but denied service connection for the other conditions.

The Board granted service connection for PTSD and remanded the claims for scarring of the nose and TMJ (also claimed as painful joints) due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and remanded several issues, including service connection for hypertension.

The Board denied increased ratings for right foot plantar fasciitis, sinusitis, and scars, and remanded the claim for service connection for a left hip condition.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for service connection of spinal stenosis and lower back scar, but denied a compensable rating for the lower back scar. The claim for an increased rating for spinal stenosis was remanded.

The Board granted an effective date of September 1, 2021, for service connection for the Veteran's thoracic spine, cervical spine, right foot, painful scar, status-post varicocele surgery, left lower abdomen, right knee, bilateral tinnitus, and right lower extremity neuropathy disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings, finding that there was no evidence of worsening or increase in severity within the year prior to April 9, 2021.

The Veteran is granted an effective date of September 1, 2023, for the 100 percent disability rating of lymphomatoid papulosis, to include mycosis fungoides, and painful scarring (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma).

The Board denied increased ratings for several service-connected conditions and granted an earlier effective date for one condition, but also remanded claims related to Parkinson's disease and certain SMC and DEA issues.

The Board remands the appeal to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the potential service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, specifically focusing on the roles of PTSD and CAD in aggravating other conditions that contributed to his death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability and scars status post-surgery residuals, as there was insufficient evidence to support that these conditions were related to his active service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board granted service connection for a right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain and increased the disability rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to 70 percent. The claims for major depression, anxiety condition, and other increased ratings were denied.

The appeal for revision of the December 1, 1953 rating decision was granted to reflect a special monthly compensation based on loss of use of the right hand. Other appeals were denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and remanded issues related to initial ratings for scars associated with chronic urticaria.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for lumbar laminectomy scar residuals, restored the 30 percent rating for nephrectomy scar residuals, and denied a compensable rating for lumbar laminectomy scar residuals. The cervical spine claims were remanded.

The Veteran's service connection for acne was granted, while the claims for scars on face, right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, and left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome were denied.