Scars Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's private treatment records and to provide him with a VA examination for his bilateral hearing loss, ingrown toenails, heart condition, digestive disability (gastroenteritis), periodontal disease, liver condition, left lower extremity sciatica, major depressive disorder with insomnia and traumatic brain injury (TBI), DJD of the thoracolumbar spine, right hand DJD, allergic rhinitis, hypertension, residual scars of the right eyebrow, and residual scars of the left upper and forearm. The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded.

The Veteran's furuncles (skin condition) with scarring is granted a 10 percent evaluation. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and headaches are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, leading to a TDIU rating.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and evaluation, including a new VA examination to assess the Veteran's right tibia angulation scar and knee strain.

The Board has remanded the TDIU claim for the period prior to September 24, 2014 due to insufficient reasoning in the April 2021 decision. The Veteran is already service-connected for PTSD and related disabilities but was not considered for a TDIU during this period.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development and a need for further medical opinion regarding the Veteran's ability to secure or follow any substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's sleep apnea and pulmonary scarring claims are remanded for additional medical opinions to address the relationship between these conditions and service, as well as any potential secondary service connection due to obesity.

The Veteran's chloracne and acne scarring are related to herbicide agent exposure during service. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the other issues.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and other issues have been remanded due to inadequate examination reports. The Board will need to obtain updated medical records, conduct new examinations, and provide a thorough rationale for any determinations.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for other disabling effects of a linear scar, residual of pilonidal cyst excision was denied as the evidence did not show any additional functional limitation or disability beyond what is already accounted for in his service-connected painful scar.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left hip hypertrophic scar, finding that it is causally related to an in-service injury during active duty.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been remanded due to the need for further evaluation of his conditions.

The appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss is dismissed. The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted, but the effective date remains to be determined by the AOJ.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, bullet wound with myofascial pain, and gunshot wound scar, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to June 25, 2019. As his combined disability rating was at least 60 percent, he is granted TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left eye disability, including a corneal scar and opacity, is at least as likely as not related to his service. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his back scar is denied as the evidence does not show that any of the scars are painful or unstable, and they do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was noted at service entrance and is not presumed to have been aggravated during service. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of aggravation, thus denying service connection for this condition.,Service connection for the left knee disability is remanded due to the need for an opinion addressing direct service connection based on the conceded in-service injury.,The Veteran's skin condition (likely Pseudofolliculitis Barbae and hyperpigmented scars) was not related to active service, as there were no in-service or post-service diagnoses of this condition. The remand is for an opinion addressing whether it is at least as likely as not that the condition had its onset in service.,Service connection for the acquired psychiatric disorder (likely depressive disorder) is remanded due to the need for an opinion addressing direct service connection based on the Veteran's reports of in-service left knee injury and/or incident involving a gas chamber.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for status post splenectomy with residual scarring and service connection for non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma has been dismissed due to the withdrawal of the appeals by the Veteran's representative.