Scars Board decisions

The Veteran's residuals of a fracture of the left hand, cervical spine disorder, C5-C6 scarring (secondary to cervical spine disorder), right knee disorder, and left knee disorder are all granted as service-connected.,Service connection is established for these conditions based on direct evidence showing they were incurred during active duty.

The Veteran's PTSD, right eye disorder, and lumbar spine disability were denied. The claim for a TDIU was granted.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to earlier effective dates for scars, right and left upper extremities status post cryotherapy.,The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 6260.

The appeal for entitlement to service connection for head and neck abrasion scar is dismissed.,The appeal for entitlement to service connection for shortness of breath is dismissed.

The Veteran's initial compensable disability ratings for his service-connected scars have been granted. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for a right elbow condition and a lower back condition due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a VA examination to determine the etiology of his claimed back disability. The right ankle degenerative arthritis and left thigh scar increased ratings are granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for left knee scarring, left knee disability, and right shoulder disability are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The VA is required to obtain an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left knee disability and a VA examination for his claimed right shoulder disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including COPD, sinusitis/rhinitis, and cardiovascular conditions, prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to December 30, 2008. The Board granted compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for left foot skin graft residuals and TDIU benefits effective March 16, 2005.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate July 2020 VA medical opinion, which did not address whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities aggravated his obesity. The examiner focused only on causation and did not consider aggravation.

The Board denied increased ratings for stress fractures of the right and left tibia, as well as a separate rating for vision impairment related to a scar on the Veteran's right eye. The evidence did not support higher disability ratings due to lack of unresponsiveness to treatment or surgery.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, right ear hearing loss, and hemorrhoids are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The Board will consider the service connection claims again after obtaining additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's disabilities are rated at 100 percent combined, but the Board finds that he does not meet the threshold requirement for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to his multiple service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's scars, status-post laparotomy, are rated at 20 percent effective May 13, 2014.

The Veteran's polycoria of the right eye with retinal scar and traumatic aphakia, secondary to blast concussion with traumatic cataract and defective vision is rated at 30 percent. The Board denied a higher rating as his corrected visual acuity for distance has been 20/70 at worst in the right eye and 20/40 or better in the left eye; he did not have impairment of visual field or muscle function or any incapacitating episodes due to this service-connected condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there was no evidence linking his cause of death to active duty service or any related exposures.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for painful right foot scars was denied.,An initial compensable rating (10%) for the service-connected right foot scars, associated with bunionectomy, was also denied.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for cysts, testosterone disability, and facial scars were dismissed. The claim for service connection for a right knee disability was reopened due to new evidence, but the appeal remains pending as it is remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to an unresolved issue regarding the effective date of service connection for a scar, and the Veteran's desire to appeal the initial rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including dementia, paralysis of the left mandibular nerve, bilateral hearing loss, and multiple cold weather injuries, rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment from October 31, 2012, on a schedular basis. From March 24, 2010, he was granted TDIU based on his combined disability rating of 70 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation since April 29, 2015. The Board has granted TDIU for the periods from April 29, 2015 to June 9, 2016 and from August 1, 2018 to May 20, 2021.