Scars Board decisions

The Board denied earlier effective dates for increased ratings and service connection decisions based on the lack of a claim prior to the assigned effective dates.

The Veteran's headaches have been rated at 50 percent since November 2, 2020.,Basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) was granted effective November 2, 2020.

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance due to his service-connected peripheral neuropathy disabilities, which have rendered him wheelchair dependent and unable to perform daily tasks.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Parkinson's Disease was denied. The claims for residuals of deviated nasal septum, skin disability other than dermatitis, right knee disability, left knee disability, and eye disability (secondary to hypertension) are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for SMC based on aid and attendance/housebound status as he is able to perform most daily activities independently, including walking short distances without assistance.

The Veteran's left lower extremity and abdominal scars are rated at the highest available rating due to painful, but not unstable, scars. Her anemia is currently noncompensable.,The Veteran's hysterectomy scars do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's cause of death, a hemorrhagic stroke, is determined to be related to his service-connected disabilities. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these service-connected conditions contributed to the Veteran's death.

The Board has found pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors in the right knee and scar disability claims, requiring VA examinations to be conducted for proper evaluation.

The Board found that the reduction from a 60% to a 30% disability rating for the respiratory disability was proper due to clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the January 2018 rating decision. The claim for restoration of the 60% rating is denied.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the award of service connection for his left and right knee surgical scars have been dismissed as a matter of law.,The Veteran's requests for compensable evaluations for his left and right knee surgical scars were denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and the TDIU is granted from October 29, 2018, to June 3, 2021.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings on his left shoulder disability, left shoulder scar, and back disability are being remanded due to a duty to assist error. The appellant is asked to provide authorization for VA to obtain any relevant medical records from Dr. Powers.

Your appeal has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The claims for service connection have not been decided.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than May 4, 2021 for the award of service connection for unspecified bipolar and related disorder was denied. The claims for increased ratings for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity from May 20, 2019 to May 20, 2021 were also denied.

The Board has dismissed all pending appeals due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his claims prior to a final decision.

The Board granted service connection for various conditions, including lumbar spine disability and bilateral knee condition. The Veteran's obesity was not found to be a compensable disability. Service connection was denied for jaw condition, skin condition (claimed as athletes' foot), bilateral hearing loss, ED secondary to PTSD, TBI, migraine headaches, residual scar of the head/scalp, scar of the lower back, and right shoulder and right foot scars.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his right knee scars and effective date claims.,His depressive disorder claim has been granted with a 50% rating, but no higher.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for right knee scars associated with degenerative arthritis, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not manifest the necessary conditions for SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance, as he was able to perform daily activities without requiring assistance from another person.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have rendered her in need of regular aid and attendance, warranting special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance.