Scars Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, including on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for skin cancer and related conditions due to inadequate medical opinions regarding causation.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for cataracts has been dismissed. Service connection for hemorrhoids, PTSD, and various other disabilities have been granted. The remaining issues are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for a head scar and headaches, finding that the Veteran's statements regarding continuity of symptoms from service are credible.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render her so helpless as to need the regular aid and attendance of another person, which is granted.

The Veteran's appeals for a compensable rating for his right ring finger scar and a higher rating for his lumbar strain prior to August 11, 2020 were denied. The appeal for a higher rating for his lumbar strain since August 11, 2020 is pending.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person was denied as he is not considered in need of such assistance due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal was not timely filed following the issuance of a Statement of the Case on February 5, 2014. As such, his claims for increased rating and service connection were denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cut to his right thumb and the resulting residual scar was reopened, and the Board granted service connection based on direct evidence of an in-service injury.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's multiple service-connected disabilities on his employability. The matter is now referred back for a VA examination and further analysis.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for right ear hearing loss, abdomen scarring, and depression due to insufficient evidence.,Further examination or medical opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating greater than 40 percent for left breast cancer residuals is denied.,A separate compensable rating of 10 percent is granted for painful lower abdomen and left inner thigh scars associated with left breast cancer surgery residuals from September 7, 2010.

The Veteran's claims for higher evaluation for major depressive disorder, service connection for endometriosis and uterine fibroids with pelvic pain, and service connection for residual scars are all remanded due to the need for updated medical records and examinations.

The Veteran's new or additional disabilities, including diverticulitis and anastomotic leak complications, were caused by carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault on the part of VA during his June 1, 2010 sigmoidectomy at Huntington VAMC. The Board found that these disabilities were proximately caused by VA treatment and granted compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to obtain or maintain a substantially gainful course of employment, and thus grants his claim for TDIU.

The TDIU claim is remanded due to incomplete employment information and the need for further development regarding the Veteran's post-service employment history, addresses of former employers, and Social Security Administration records.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's right leg disability and scar. Additional VA clinical records, service hospital records, and an examination are needed.

The Veteran's claims for shaving problems, molluscum contagiosum, and a bilateral foot disability were denied. The Veteran was granted service connection for dermatitis and tinea pedis, both of which had their onset during his military service.,Service connection for allergic rhinitis was granted as the Veteran has been diagnosed with this condition since 2008.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for emphysema with scarred lung, finding that there is no current diagnosis of such disability and that it is not related to service. The evidence did not show a respiratory condition during or recent to service, and the VA examiner concluded that the Veteran does not have a current respiratory disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not precluded him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, thus the claim for TDIU is denied.