Scars Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to August 21, 2014, for service connection were denied.,Effective date of August 21, 2014 was granted for the award of service connection.

The Veteran's treatment at a non-VA facility was not for an emergency condition and VA facilities were feasibly available, leading to the denial of payment or reimbursement.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to perform daily activities of living without the assistance of another, and he meets the requirements for aid and attendance from another. As a result, his claim for SMC based on the need for aid and attendance is granted.

The Board denied service connection for right and left hip scars as they are not related to service or any service-connected disability.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating greater than 30 percent for post-operative scars, posterior and anterior neck has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.

The Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae with facial scar has been rated at 10 percent since July 9, 2020. The Board finds that the VA did not obtain relevant treatment records from Drs. Buckley and Malik prior to issuing the March 2022 rating decision, which was a pre-decisional duty to assist error. Therefore, the case is being remanded for obtaining these records.

Service connection for various conditions including bilateral shins, left ankle, left arm and elbow, lower back pain, neck pain cervical spine, rhinitis, right ankle, right arm and elbow, right hand, right hip, right shoulder scar, right wrist, sinusitis, sleep apnea, vertigo has been denied.,Service connection for tinnitus was also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including post-traumatic stress disorder, Parkinson's disease, and diabetes mellitus type II, have rendered him in need of regular aid and attendance. The Board has granted special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the issues of service connection and increased rating, leaving no grounds for further review.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for Total Disability Evaluation Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) as his service-connected conditions do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, right elbow fractures, forehead scar, and other conditions have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since November 15, 2022. His TDIU claim is granted effective from that date.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his surgical scar, s/p total left hip replacement is denied as the evidence does not show an area or areas of 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various conditions, including generalized anxiety disorder, GERD, IBS, rhinitis, sinusitis, dry skin/scars, a bilateral breast condition, pulled groin, vaginitis, irregular menstruation, cervical spine condition, left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, lower extremity nerve damage, ankle strain or Achilles conditions, and foot plantar fasciitis. The effective date for service connection for generalized anxiety disorder is denied prior to December 1, 2021.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed because the Notice of Disagreement (NOD) did not identify a specific decision or issue with which he disagreed. The NOD was filed in October 2021, but there is no January 2021 rating decision that the Veteran could have appealed.

The Board denied service connection for a left ankle disability, right ankle disability, deviated nasal septum, nerve disability (tingling and numbness) secondary to service-connected lumbosacral strain, bilateral hearing loss disability, left knee disability, abdominal scar, and skin cancer.,The Board also remanded claims for service connection for a left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, tinnitus, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, and prostate cancer.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including sleep apnea and diabetes mellitus with related neuropathy, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment since June 2019, leading to a TDIU effective from June 4, 2020.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to provide the Veteran with an adequate VA examination to assess his need for aid and attendance/housebound status due to service-connected disabilities, as the previous examination was based on inaccurate facts.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for left foot cellulitis scar, left knee condition as secondary to service-connected left ankle strain, and right knee condition as secondary to service-connected left ankle strain has been dismissed due to untimely filing.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for left foot pain and right foot pain has also been dismissed due to untimely filing. The Veteran was granted service connection for back strain.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since June 3, 2019.,TDIU is granted from June 3, 2019. The appeal for TDIU from October 9, 2018 to June 3, 2019 is remanded.