Scars Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the cause of his claimed conditions. The case will be returned to VA for further development, including obtaining military police records and conducting medical examinations.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's death and reviewing the coroner's report. The appellant is seeking service connection for the cause of her husband's death due to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and clarification of the Veteran's symptoms related to his left wrist ulnar neuropathy, including distinguishing between symptoms caused by arthritis and those caused by the ulnar neuropathy. The rating for the surgical scar is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the evaluation of the ulnar neuropathy.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability are being remanded due to the VA Regional Office failing to obtain his Social Security Administration records prior to issuing its December 8, 2020 decision.

The Veteran's application for benefits under the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) was remanded due to a lack of caregiver training and an inability to complete assessments within 90 days. The claim is being returned to the AOJ for further development.

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

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of June 1, 2015 for the grant of a TDIU and basic eligibility to DEA benefits. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of that date.

The Veteran's service-connected status post esophageal surgery with dysphagia and residual scar associated with peptic ulcer disease, along with type II diabetes mellitus, rendered him unable to maintain gainful employment. The Board granted SMC based on housebound status beginning September 30, 2014.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for his service-connected cervical spine scar, finding that the evidence did not show any characteristics of disfigurement, visible or palpable tissue loss, or gross distortion or asymmetry of features.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. Service connection for IBS was not granted, while the Veteran's left hand arthritis, long finger arthritis, thumb arthritis, strictureplasty scar, right knee chondromalacia patella, and left knee chondromalacia patella all remained at noncompensable levels.

The Veteran's renal dysfunction and partial gastrectomy have resulted in a TDIU from June 1, 2016 to April 11, 2018 due to the physical limitations caused by his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including left shoulder strain, right knee arthritis, and hearing loss, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment since September 11, 2012.

The Veteran's initial claims for increased ratings for coronary artery disease status post bypass graft and associated scar have been remanded due to a duty to assist error. The VA is required to schedule the Veteran for examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a left sinus scar was denied in June 1991. The effective date for the grant of service connection is set at January 14, 2016, which is when the Veteran submitted an Intent to file a new claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the threshold criteria for a serious injury, thus denying his appeal seeking PCAFC eligibility.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA examination, and readjudicating the claims.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the Board's failure to provide an adequate statement of reasons or bases for its decision. The case will be referred to the Under Secretary for Benefits or the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for consideration of assignment of a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's claim for increased SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(r)(2) is remanded due to inadequate VA examination reports and the need for additional evidence regarding his care needs.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for a TDIU, and his service-connected conditions have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings are being remanded due to the need to obtain VA clinic records since service discharge and associate them with the record.