Scars Board decisions

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for left complex regional pain syndrome, left arm numbness and pain, and a scar of the left wrist as a result of VA care involving these conditions.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including higher ratings for parotidectomy residuals and scar, a more than 50 percent rating for OSA, and TDIU. Additional development is needed to clarify medical opinions regarding the severity of these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his physical and mental abilities did not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

TDIU was denied for the period from August 28, 2017 to December 1, 2020 due to the Veteran's ability to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.,TDIU was granted beginning on December 1, 2020 as the Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to PTSD alone.,Special monthly compensation at the housebound rate was granted starting from December 1, 2020.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination findings regarding the Veteran's left wrist ganglion cyst and her contentions of temporary paralysis.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and initial ratings for various conditions have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeals.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, and the Board denies entitlement to a TDIU on both schedular and extraschedular grounds.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further evaluation of his left arm shrapnel wound scar. The Board finds that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for his painful and unstable scars of anterior chest, shoulder, and penis, as there are no five or more scars that are both painful and unstable. His left lower extremity scars have been resolved to be noncompensable.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development to obtain updated medical records and a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected facial scars.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected right knee scar was denied as the scar did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7805.,The Board found that the Veteran's right hip and left knee conditions are related to his service-connected right knee condition, but remanded for additional opinions on whether these conditions are aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's initial ratings for his left palm scar and PTSD were denied. The Board found that a compensable rating was not warranted prior to June 22, 2018, and a rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter is also not warranted. Service connection for the left wrist/arm disorder and TDIU are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and service connection has been remanded due to the need for additional development. The Board is not able to determine if a rating in excess of 20 percent is warranted for his left wrist peripheral nerve disability or if a rating in excess of 10 percent is warranted for his left wrist scars.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, gynecological conditions (infertility and miscarriages), gastrointestinal conditions, left knee condition, chronic fatigue, thyroid condition, and skin conditions have been remanded due to insufficient evidence.,Further examination is needed to determine the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for increased rating for his service-connected scar disability is remanded due to the need for further medical guidance on whether additional scars are related to his service-connected basal cell carcinoma and their current severity.

The Veteran's left femur condition is rated at a 30 percent since May 8, 2017. The Board has remanded the case for further development.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a left knee disability and heart disabilities. However, these claims are still pending as further medical examination is needed to determine if there is a relationship between the current diagnoses and service.

The Veteran's right thumb disability is granted a 10 percent rating, and the Veteran's left forearm scar is denied an increased rating. The Board has remanded for further development regarding his shoulder disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left knee DJD, a left knee scar, and left knee instability. The TDIU claim is also being remanded due to its inextricability with the other rating claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to August 8, 2017.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for TDIU due to insufficient consideration of evidence and potential changes in disability ratings.