Scars Board decisions

The veteran's claims of entitlement to increased disability ratings for residuals, fracture left femur; chondromalacia patella, left knee; and scar, left leg are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected conditions do not prevent him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The RO denied the veteran's claims for service connection for burn scars of the head and back, finding that these conditions were not shown by the evidence of record.

The Board denied an increased rating for hypertension and found the veteran not unemployable due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for multiple conditions, including a left upper eyelid/eyebrow scar, multiple joint pain and muscle pain, ear, nose and throat problems, and indigestion. The evidence did not support these claims.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected post operative scar and recurrent tumor of the plantar surface of the left foot, currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board finds that the veteran's service-connected disabilities, in and of themselves, do not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. The combined rating for his service-connected disabilities is less than total.

The veteran's service connection for multiple basal cell carcinomas is granted, and the issues of service connection for a scar on the left side of the neck (squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma) are also addressed.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the February 1958 rating decision that reduced a disability rating for shell fragment wound scars on the left knee from 10% to noncompensable.

The Board denied service connection for a nervous disorder and tooth number 8, but granted an increased rating of 10% for the disfiguring scar of the lip. The other residuals of the facial gunshot wound were rated as 10%.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective date determinations, finding that his service-connected conditions did not warrant higher evaluations under the applicable rating criteria.

The veteran's appeals for increased ratings on several service-connected disabilities have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his claims of entitlement to an initial compensable rating for scars of the scalp and face, and entitlement to a 10 percent disability rating for multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities under 38 C.F.R. § 3.324.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for higher ratings for his service-connected right foot disability, finding that the current 10 percent rating is appropriate for both the fracture and scar.

The veteran was placed in a private nursing home, the Capitol Care Center, from August 1997 until his death in December 2000. The VA Medical Center (VAMC) in Boise, Idaho provided payment for non-VA nursing home care until December 31, 1997. The veteran's eligibility for basic eligibility for non-VA nursing home care from 1997 to 2000 is granted.

The veteran's claim for financial assistance in the purchase of an automobile and adaptive equipment is denied as his visual impairment does not meet the required criteria under VA regulations.

The Board has granted the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, left shoulder disability as secondary to chest scars, and increased ratings for chest scars and tinea versicolor.

The Board has granted a compensable rating of 10% for the veteran's service-connected scar, postoperative residual of left inguinal hernia repair. The condition is superficial and does not involve disfigurement or cause limited motion.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private hospital records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of her service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was caused by his service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease and post-traumatic encephalopathy.

The Board found that the veteran's preexisting sinus disorder was aggravated during active service, and thus granted service connection for this condition. The keloid scars of the chest were also found to be aggravated by exposure to tear gas during basic training.