Scars Board decisions

The veteran's cause of death, metastatic renal cell carcinoma, was not caused by VA medical treatment. The service-connected disabilities did not contribute to the veteran's death.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date, finding that October 14, 1975 was the correct date of entitlement to service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a Travel Board hearing. The veteran's claims for a compensable rating for his scar and service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome are pending.

The veteran's service-connected PTSD and right leg disability have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a total rating for compensation purposes.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence does not relate any of the claimed conditions to service, and thus, the claims are denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for hypertension, arteriosclerotic heart disease with coronary artery disease, and a tender and painful scar. The Board found no persuasive medical nexus evidence linking these conditions to his active military service or to his service-connected PTSD.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine (rated at 40%), hysterectomy (30%), history of avulsion fracture with fibromyalgia (20%), duodenal ulcer (10%), and residual scars from neck skin tag removal (noncompensable), result in a combined rating of 70%. The veteran is granted TDIU due to her service-connected disabilities, which preclude her from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.

The VA denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the veteran's right knee disorder, including instability, degenerative arthritis and scars.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence linking his current disorders to service or any other basis.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for a compensable evaluation for a left trapezius muscle scar, service connection for a cervical spine disability and headaches as secondary to his residuals of a left shoulder injury.

The Board found that the veteran's compensation benefits were properly reduced to a 10 percent rate due to his incarceration, as he was incarcerated for felony convictions before October 7, 1980.

The Board denied an initial compensable disability rating for a service-connected burn scar of the left arm, finding that the veteran's scar did not meet the criteria for any higher rating under either the old or new VA rating criteria.

The Board dismissed the veteran's appeal for entitlement to a compensable rating for the residuals of a gunshot wound of the left neck due to his withdrawal of that issue. The claim for a compensable rating for the gunshot wound scar of the right index finger was also dismissed.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left hand disorder, characterized as a scar of the left thumb, was incurred in service. The neck and right shoulder disorders were not found to have their origins during service or for many years thereafter. The back disorder was also not found to be related to service. However, the reduction of the 30 percent rating assigned for the veteran's right hand disorder to a 10 percent rating was upheld as proper.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and employment-related records.

The veteran's appeal for initial compensable ratings for his service-connected right ulnar styloid fracture and laceration scar of the right index finger was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his PTSD, ulnar palsy, shell fragment wound with lacerated brachial artery, residuals of fracture with retained foreign bodies, and scars from shell fragment wounds. The rating assigned was 70 percent for PTSD.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected left foot scar, residuals of puncture wound, is rated appropriately at 10 percent and does not meet criteria for an increased rating.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for double pneumonia and granted it. The claims for COPD and scarring of the lungs were also granted, with COPD being determined to be related to service due to its chronic nature and history of exacerbations. Service connection was established for all conditions based on direct evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for right hip strain and denied service connection for the other conditions. The veteran's current diagnoses of right hip strain are supported by his in-service treatment records, which indicate recurrent right hip pain.