Scars Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes, diabetic nephropathy, and neuropathy of all four extremities, as well as other conditions like vocal cord cancer residuals and coronary artery disease, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU from December 1, 2014, to May 29, 2020, July 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of traumatic brain injury, right upper extremity scar, and right upper extremity burn scar due to lack of a diagnosed disability related to these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a total disability based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to August 21, 2014 due to insufficient examination records regarding medications used for service-connected conditions and outstanding medical records from Richmond, Virginia.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings related to PTSD, migraine headaches, left hand disability, ptosis of the eye lid, and scars are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a residual muscular impairment due to in-service decompression sickness, right shoulder disability, and low back scar. The nose scar was granted an initial 10% rating but not higher.

The Board has denied service connection for scars and a foot disability, finding no evidence of such conditions during or after service. The claim for sleep apnea is remanded due to inadequate medical opinion.,Further examination and/or additional medical opinions are needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected physical disabilities, which have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment since July 29, 2014.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for increased disability ratings and service connection, finding that there was no pending claim prior to February 23, 2021. The effective date of the awards is set at February 23, 2021.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are not properly adjudicated due to pre-decisional errors in obtaining relevant medical records and developing secondary service connection issues. The case is being remanded to correct these errors.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to properly notify the Veteran and appellant of their rights in a simultaneously contested claim, including the right to a hearing, representation, and submission of evidence.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all issues related to effective dates and initial ratings, effectively dismissing the appeal.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings on multiple conditions are being remanded due to the need for further development and evaluation.

The Veteran's GERD/hiatal hernia with erosive gastritis is rated at 30 percent, but no more, since May 31, 2013.,A rating in excess of 10 percent for the right thumb scar is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's miscarriages and her presumed exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was granted in an October 2020 rating decision, which represents a full grant of the benefits sought on appeal. As there is no case or controversy for the Board to adjudicate, the claim is dismissed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lung disability and initial ratings for his CAD. The Board found that there was not sufficient evidence to establish a direct relationship between the Veteran's current lung disability and service, and also determined that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under Diagnostic Code 7005.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and ratings for his knee disabilities were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have hemorrhoids during active duty, and there was no evidence of a compensable rating for his right knee scar. His initial rating for his right knee disability prior to September 2, 2015 was denied as he had adequate range of motion. A separate 10 percent rating was granted from February 24, 2015 to September 1, 2015 for weakness and falls following meniscus surgery. The Veteran's initial rating higher than 30 percent from January 1, 2017 onward for his total right knee replacement was denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a new VA examination and considering his claim for a TDIU prior to September 25, 2020.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left wrist fusion with arthritis, painful linear scar from a previous wrist surgery, and linear scar from a cesarean section were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher disability ratings under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right knee disabilities due to inadequate consideration of his symptoms and treatment, including pain management and use of a cane. A new VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of these conditions.