Scars Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected conditions result in the need for regular aid and attendance, which has been granted special monthly compensation.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete documentation of the examiner's CV, which was not sent to the Veteran and his representative as instructed.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete documentation of the Veteran's periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA. The issues are inextricably intertwined with the SMC loss of use claim.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis and left posterior scar due to empyema drainage as they were granted service connection in a February 2021 rating decision. The appeal for obstructive sleep apnea is remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine condition, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with right sacral fracture, and related radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve. The issues are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine condition, as well as the severity of her lumbar spine condition, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and associated scar.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development and opinion regarding service connection claims, particularly addressing whether the Veteran's disorders are secondary to his service-connected right knee disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected residual scar right index finger status post laceration is painful and warrants a 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of recurrent abscesses with scarring were found to have scars that did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA regulations, as they were less than 929 square centimeters and not painful or associated with underlying soft tissue damage.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for a compensable disability rating and an earlier effective date are remanded due to the need for updated medical records and examination. The service connection claim is also remanded as it was not fully adjudicated in the August 2018 rating decision.

The Veteran's rib cage and groin scars are rated at 10 percent, effective October 1, 2015. The initial rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy is also set at 10 percent, effective the same date. However, ratings for right ankle impairment and back impairment remain pending as they were remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for corneal scarring was withdrawn. The left ankle fracture residuals, status-post surgery, are rated at 10 percent.,PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent and the Veteran is granted a TDIU as of June 21, 2011.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates and ratings related to his right shoulder scars, right carpal tunnel syndrome, and pituitary gland tumor are being remanded due to the addition of relevant evidence since the last statement of the case.

The Veteran's acne scars on the back of his head are rated at a 10 percent disability rating for the entire appeal period, with no higher ratings granted.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a right knee fragmentation wound scar is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran's current diagnosis of a right knee scar is related to his active military service, specifically an in-service shrapnel wound during his tour in Vietnam. For other issues, including increased ratings for various disabilities and renal insufficiency prior to December 14, 2020, the decision remains pending as these are not final decisions.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a new VA examination regarding the Veteran's scars associated with her service-connected ganglion cyst on the left wrist. The claim is still pending and will be reconsidered after the additional development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted a TDIU based on this finding.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for painful scar in the groin, finding that the evidence did not support such a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected left knee scar has been denied.,The Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than October 26, 2017, for service-connected left knee degenerative arthritis and left knee scar have also been denied.,The Board has ordered the case to be remanded due to insufficient examination of the Veteran's left knee disability.

The Board has granted an effective date of August 28, 2015 for the award of a separate 30 percent rating for linear scar of the outer canthus of the right eye. The remaining issues on appeal (entitlement to increased ratings for ptosis and linear scar) are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's failure to cooperate with scheduling of a VA examination. The case will be returned for further development.