Scars Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted. The skin condition, right shoulder pain, Gulf War syndrome, and scars are all found to be related to his active service.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder and RUE scars are not service-connected as they did not manifest during or within one year after service. The Board found the evidence insufficient to establish a nexus between these conditions and service.,For his eye disorder and tinnitus, the Veteran needs further examination and opinion regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent prior to October 17, 2018, and 20 percent thereafter for residual scars of hernia surgery is remanded. Additionally, the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the assignment of a 20 percent disability rating for residual scars of hernia surgery is also remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment prior to February 24, 2017.

The Veteran's rating for a painful scar associated with his inguinal hernia repair was reduced from 10 percent to zero, effective May 1, 2018. The Board found the reduction improper and restored the 10 percent rating.,For residuals of left hernia repair, the Veteran is not entitled to a compensable disability rating under Diagnostic Code 7338.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's respiratory disorders, including asthma and COPD. The VA examiner is asked to provide an addendum opinion addressing whether these conditions are related to service, specifically exposure to herbicide agents, and if they are proximately caused or aggravated by any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for coronary artery disease, scar status post CAD, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease due to inadequate development of evidence. The Veteran's death certificate indicates respiratory failure as a result of COPD/CHF.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to potential increase in severity of his back disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and residual surgical scar. The Veteran will be provided with a new VA examination to determine current levels of impairment.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a left wrist disability has been withdrawn. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for right wrist, acquired psychiatric disabilities (depression and anxiety), residual scars of the right upper extremity, residual painful scars of the right upper extremity, and right shoulder disabilities manifesting in glenohumeral joint dislocation and limitation of motion.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected left total knee arthroplasty and left knee scar, including earlier effective dates for these conditions and increased ratings.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of left hip disability and left hip scar due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has decided that the severance of service connection for right knee, left knee, and left knee scar disabilities was not proper. Service connection is restored for these conditions. The claims for service connection for a back disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's Fuchs corneal dystrophy is remanded for a new examination to assess the current severity of his condition and its relationship to other eye conditions. Service connection for retinal edema, scarring, ocular hypertension, and optic nerve edema are also remanded due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error and obtain a VA examination for the claimed acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's VA compensation benefits were improperly terminated from September 16, 2016 to January 8, 2018 due to fugitive felon status. The reduction of his benefits from January 9, 2018 to June 9, 2018 was also improper due to incarceration.

An increased rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's left knee condition is granted from April 5, 2019 to May 26, 2020.,The effective date for service connection of the right knee scar is set at October 12, 2017, and for the left knee scars at July 31, 2014.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's motion alleging clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the June 1979 and September 1981 rating decisions, as these decisions did not adjudicate the issue of a separate compensable rating for painful scars associated with his service-connected bilateral pes planovalgus.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 100 percent for TBI with neurocognitive disorder, arachnoid cyst, and PTSD is dismissed. The claim for a compensable rating for the lumbar spine scar is also dismissed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hepatitis C, anxiety disorder, hypertension, skin disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability due to insufficient medical evidence. The Veteran will need to undergo VA examinations to determine the current nature of these conditions and their likely etiology.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed as he withdrew his claims for sleep apnea and alopecia. His claim for chronic sinusitis was granted with a 50% rating, which is the maximum available. The appeals for right foot metatarsalgia, erectile dysfunction, TBI, headaches (migraines), facial scarring of the left eyebrow, and sebaceous cyst removal scar were denied. The appeal for inguinal hernia and hypertension was also dismissed.