Scars Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and requests for additional information. The Veteran's lung condition with scarring is being reviewed again.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's service-connected painful surgical scar of the left wrist, finding that his symptoms are already compensated for within the ratings assigned for other related conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and increased ratings has been resolved. The right wrist disability was dismissed, the left elbow disability was denied, and the right ankle and neck disabilities were granted with specific rating criteria. The left ankle and right ankle scar disabilities remain denied.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted for the period from February 8, 2010 to April 3, 2014 on an extraschedular basis and from April 13, 2014 to March 13, 2015 on a schedular basis. The combined rating of his service-connected disabilities was sufficient for TDIU during these periods.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance due to a lack of evidence showing he is bedridden or in need of regular aid and assistance due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has restored service connection for coronary artery disease and a scar of the anterior trunk, finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand. The grant of service connection is based on presumptive exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and/or diabetes aggravated his left eye corneal scarring.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims regarding earlier effective dates and compensable evaluations for his surgical scars, as well as denied his petition to reopen his service connection claims for eczema (claimed as squamous cell carcinoma) and cystic acne. The case was also remanded for further action on these issues.

The Board has dismissed all pending appeals due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his claims prior to a decision being made.

Service connection is granted for fibromyalgia, right and left hand disabilities, and right and left little, long, index, ring fingers, and thumbs. Service connection is denied for painful joints, degenerative arthritis, respiratory disorder (other than service-connected allergic rhinitis), muscle pain, gynecological disability (other than service-connected scars status post laparoscopy for ovarian cyst), left toe fracture, left foot and toe condition, right foot and toe condition, dizziness, left knee disability, and right shoulder disability.

The Veteran's spouse was granted dependency compensation effective from November 28, 2011, the date of his service-connected disability rating.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Hepatitis C was dismissed. Effective dates of February 15, 2012 were granted for increased ratings and effective date for service connection for PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development of medical evidence, particularly regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of June 16, 1996, for the award of service connection for a low back scar due to cyst removal is granted. The Board finds that the June 1996 claim reasonably encompasses the December 2018 claim for the low back scar.

The Veteran's service-connected prostate cancer and bilateral scrotal orchiectomy render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to urinary incontinence, which requires frequent diaper changes.

The Board has determined that the severance of service connection for aortic aneurysm, linear scar, and nonlinear scar disabilities was improper. The appeal is granted as the criteria for restoration of service connection have been met.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have met the schedular requirements for TDIU and his service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment as of September 13, 2016.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a rectal fissure is denied as there is no persuasive evidence of current disability or in-service incurrence.,Service connection for left hip dysplasia prior to March 21, 2019 is remanded due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the severity of her condition.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a remote left frontal craniotomy for left scalp lump removal is remanded as there are no current findings or symptoms attributable to this condition.,Service connection for a scalp scar prior to April 21, 2022 is denied due to lack of associated underlying soft tissue damage and insufficient disfigurement characteristics.,A rating in excess of 30 percent for the Veteran's scalp scar after April 21, 2022 is remanded as there are no more than two to three characteristics of disfigurement present.,Service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with related depressive symptoms prior to April 18, 2022 is granted at a 50 percent rating. From April 18, 2022, the Veteran's PTSD disability is rated as 70 percent disabling.,Service connection for PTSD with related depressive symptoms from April 18, 2022 is denied due to insufficient evidence of occupational and social impairment.

The Board has granted service connection for scarring as a result of an acid spill on the female area, finding that it was incurred during active duty.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error in the initial opinion regarding his employability.