Scars Board decisions

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and burn scar of the right hand were denied as there was no evidence to support higher evaluations based on current medical findings.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tender scar, residual of pilonidal cystectomy and for a compensable rating for deviated nasal septum, postoperative status.

The Board has determined that the veteran's scar, as a residual of a shell fragment wound to the right lower leg, is service-connected.

The Board has determined that the appellant's service-connected disabilities, including a back disability, right toe disability, and scar on his right distal tibia, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. As such, he is granted a total rating for compensation based on individual unemployability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are not well grounded. The claim for subdural hematomas is denied, and the compensable rating claims for the right foot, left elbow, and scalp scar disabilities are also denied.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for sarcoidosis, residuals of a gunshot wound involving Muscle Group XXI, and residuals of a gunshot wound involving Muscle Group I were all denied by the RO. The VA determined that the veteran did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.

The veteran is seeking an increased evaluation for a service-connected scar, and the RO has been instructed to consider whether a staged rating should be assigned based on evidence of more severe symptoms at some point prior to October 6, 1996.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that no service-connected disability caused or contributed to his mental unsoundness leading to suicide.

The Board denied an increased rating for the laceration scar on the left side of the face, finding that it presented moderate disfigurement and thus warranting a 10 percent disability rating.

The Board granted an increased evaluation of 30 percent for the veteran's service-connected left iliac crest gunshot wound residuals and a separate 10 percent evaluation for his laparotomy scar residuals. The total rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability was also granted.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation and earlier effective date for service connection were denied.,The Board found that the veteran did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his left eye condition, and that the earliest effective date for service connection was April 1, 1991.

The veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of dental trauma to teeth numbers 7, 8 and 9 is granted. The claim for a higher evaluation for the facial scar about the right nasal ala, extending vertically onto the upper lip, remains denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from engaging in substantially gainful employment, and thus a total disability rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability is not warranted.

The veteran's service-connected keloid scar of the right anterior chest is not rated as compensable due to lack of symptoms such as ulceration, pain, or limitation of function.

The Board granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left ankle and assigned May 14, 1997 as its effective date. The veteran's right great toe amputation with limitation of motion of the right ankle was already rated at maximum disability levels.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing gainful employment.

The veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, residuals of a removal of a growth of the right eyelid, and bilateral shoulder bursitis are not well-grounded. The claim for service connection for a scar of the right thigh is granted. The claims for compensable evaluations for left ear hearing loss, left ankle disability, and right thumb scar are denied.

The Board found no evidence of a current psychiatric disorder related to service and denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and pension benefits due to his nonservice-connected disabilities.

The veteran's bladder rupture, postoperative with urethral dilation, is currently rated at 20 percent. The residuals of left pelvic fracture are rated at 10 percent. The distal fracture of the left middle finger and scar of the left thumb both warrant a compensable evaluation (10 percent). The laceration scar of the right fifth finger does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The veteran developed additional neurological disability as a result of VA medical treatment in April 1995, and his service-connected disabilities render him so nearly helpless that he requires the care and assistance of others on a regular basis. The Board finds that compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for increased neurological disability is warranted.