Scars Board decisions

The Veteran's increased rating claim for his right inguinal hernia and scars is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the severity of his condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for rhabdomyolysis and a left leg scar, finding that the conditions did not meet the criteria for such evaluations under applicable VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his abdominal scars was denied as the evidence did not show that he met the criteria for an increased rating prior to April 15, 2021.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating after April 15, 2021, was also denied because the evidence did not show that he met the criteria for an increased rating.

The Veteran's claims for right shoulder impingement syndrome, acromioclavicular joint separation, and surgical scars associated with the condition were granted effective July 21, 1997. The Board found that new VA treatment records submitted within one year of a previous denial constituted new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's abdominal scar, resulting from a Nissen fundoplication procedure to treat gastrointestinal disability, is at least as likely as not etiologically related to his active service. Therefore, service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's initial ratings for scars and pilonidal cyst removal have been denied. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and sleep apnea.,A new VA examination is required to assess the current severity of the Veteran's lumbar spine disability due to his recent testimony indicating worsening symptoms.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting the grant of TDIU.

The Veteran's employment conditions from January 23, 2007 were consistent with those of a marginal or protected employment situation due to his service-connected disabilities. The Board granted the Veteran's claim for total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) effective from January 23, 2007.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment as of May 1, 2018.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for initial compensable evaluations for his right eye and left ear hearing loss, as well as service connection for his right ear hearing loss. The claims are being remanded due to the need for new examinations to assess the current severity of these disabilities.

The Board has found that the Veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings for various conditions, including hemorrhoids, TMJ, right thumb scar, and cerebral hemisphere infarction residuals, need to be remanded due to procedural errors and the need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's claim for a 10 percent evaluation based on multiple, noncompensable service-connected disabilities prior to July 29, 2008 is denied as his disabilities have not undergone an increase in character that clearly interfered with normal employability within the one-year period before January 21, 1997.

The Veteran's service-connected Discoid Lupus Erythematosus and Scarring Alopecia with Unstable Scar have been granted a rating of 10 percent, effective from September 21, 2012. The decision also includes separate ratings for the disfigurement associated with the scarring alopecia.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for additional medical opinion regarding the Veteran's service-connected conditions and their impact on his ability to work. The appeal is related to the Veteran's TDIU claim.

The Veteran's right knee scars, which are painful and have been caused by his service-connected right knee disability, warrant a rating of 20 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from securing or following substantially gainful employment throughout the entire period on appeal, and the Board finds that he is entitled to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's appeals for higher evaluations of bilateral hearing loss, allergic rhinitis, and scar from right inguinal herniorrhaphy have been dismissed. Additionally, the appeal to reopen a previously denied claim for numbness on the right side of the body has also been dismissed.

The Veteran's balance issues, chronic fatigue, hyperkalemia, arteriovenous fistula, bilateral foot onychomycosis, and bilateral osteomyelitis are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected diabetes. The Veteran's bilateral foot ulcers are related to his service-connected diabetes.

The Veteran's claims for left shoulder and left finger disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities, including PTSD with anxiety and depression, left shoulder strain, cervical strain, and other conditions, rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment from November 25, 2009, to February 9, 2011. The Board granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis for this period.