Scars Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance due to incomplete medical records. The issues include left shoulder disability, left shoulder scar, right shoulder scars, and need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including major depressive disorder and tension headaches (migraines), have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and work history.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 100 percent for right tonsil squamous cell carcinoma is denied. The Board also found that the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for special monthly compensation based on housebound criteria is remanded due to the need to adjudicate additional service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for a right wrist scar has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has granted service connection for a forehead scar but has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine disabilities due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, right knee and left lower extremity radiculopathy, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on this finding.

The Board has granted an initial rating of 20 percent for a left ear scar that is painful and unstable, with underlying recurrent sebaceous cysts as analogous to a painful and unstable scar, effective since October 26, 2010. The decision also increased the rating from 10 to 20 percent since March 15, 2021.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cardiovascular disease, finding that the evidence did not support a causal relationship between his current condition and service.,The Board also remanded the issue of assigning a compensable rating for scars status/post bilateral orchiopexy prior to May 4, 2021 and entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent from that date.

For the rating period prior to March 26, 2014, the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the threshold requirements for TDIU and they do not render him unemployable.,From March 26, 2014, the Veteran is in receipt of a 100% disability rating for aortic stenosis with stable angina, status-post heart valve replacement. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU from this date is dismissed as moot due to his already receiving SMC benefits.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for her right knee scars disability is being remanded due to the need to consider additional evidence and reconsider whether the Veteran's scar disability is both unstable and painful, warranting an additional 10 percent rating under DC 7804, Note (2).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine, back surgery scars, and neck disability claims require additional examinations to determine their severity and etiology. The cases are being remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's death is not service-connected, and the claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is being remanded due to inadequate medical opinion.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including those for postoperative hiatal hernia with abdominal scar, painful umbilical hernia scar, and an acquired psychiatric condition. The issues of angina and heart problems are also being deferred due to their dependency on the outcome of the service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU for the entire appeal period.

The Veteran's lumbar spine strain, left and right weak quadriceps muscles, and residuals of a right femur fracture disabilities are being remanded for additional examinations to determine their current severity. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the increased rating issues.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for scars of the left lower extremity, residuals of coronary artery bypass graft surgery is granted. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU prior to March 5, 2019 is remanded due to conflicting evidence regarding his employment status.

The Veteran's right ankle condition and scar have been remanded for further development. Additionally, the Board has found that service connection is warranted for a separate rating for neurological impairment of the bilateral lower extremities.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the bilateral femoral nerves and peripheral neuropathy of the left sciatic nerve have been rated based on their severity, with moderate symptoms for both conditions.,The service-connected surgical scar associated with degenerative disc disease with lumbar stenosis has not been assigned a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's cause of death was a cerebrovascular accident (stroke), which the VA medical opinion found to be unrelated to his service-connected conditions.,The Veteran did not meet the criteria for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 as he had countable income exceeding the maximum annual death pension rate.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including prostate cancer and right shoulder and knee conditions, do not preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.