Scars Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for temporary 100 percent evaluations for bilateral knee disabilities, service connection for various conditions, and increased ratings have been dismissed.,Claims to reopen service connection for right Achilles' tendonitis, right hand condition, left wrist condition, right wrist condition, left ankle condition, left ring finger fracture, bilateral testicular pain, scar of the right occipital temporal area, left arm scar, seborrheic keratosis, fibromyalgia, IBS, diabetes mellitus, left elbow condition, gum damage and missing teeth, bilateral dry eyes, hyperlipidemia, and right elbow condition have been dismissed.,Claims for higher initial ratings and effective dates prior to July 6, 2018 for service connection of cervical spine disability and bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy have been dismissed.,The claims for revision based on CUE in the reduction of ratings for left shoulder sprain with degenerative changes, left knee degenerative joint disease, and right knee degenerative joint disease have been denied.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected acne scars was denied. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support a higher rating based on the current criteria.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's skin disability and hypertension are related to his service-connected depressive disorder.

The Veteran's initial claim for a scar due to hernia repair was granted with an initial 10% evaluation.,His claim for service-connected inguinal hernia was denied as there is no evidence of recurrence or need for treatment.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development and adjudication due to inadequate previous examinations.

The Veteran's attempts for earlier effective dates for service connection are denied as they lack legal merit.,Claims for earlier effective dates for left lower extremity scars, unspecified depressive disorder, muscle injury residuals from a gunshot wound to the right and left legs, and metatarsalgia in the right foot have been denied due to lack of prior claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and diabetes-related neuropathy, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board granted the TDIU claim based on this finding.

The Veteran's appeals have been withdrawn, and all issues on appeal are dismissed.

The Board has granted a TDIU effective November 2, 2016. However, the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU prior to that date. The case is remanded for referral to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, as the cause of death (acute myocardial infraction) is not related to his military service or any service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus have been granted. The remaining issues of back condition, GERD, sinus condition, respiratory condition, and scars are remanded due to the need for further medical examinations.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for right knee conditions were denied. The Board found that the earliest evidence of these conditions was not prior to the date of his supplemental claim, and thus no earlier effective dates could be granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for scar, right great toe and right ear hearing loss were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for his scar, right big toe, and that he does not have an exceptional pattern of hearing impairment in his right ear.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's scalp disorder, including dissecting folliculitis with scarring alopecia, as a presumptive chronic multisymptom illness of unknown etiology due to his active duty in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War.

The Veteran's gunshot wound scars were granted an increased rating of 30 percent, but no higher, prior to December 3, 2019.,An increased rating in excess of 30 percent from December 3, 2019 forward for the Veteran's gunshot wounds scars was denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development and lack of competent medical evidence on file for a decision.

The Veteran was unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, including lung cancer and low back pain. The Board granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's right knee surgical scars are not rated higher than 10 percent.,The Veteran's left knee surgical scar is rated at 10 percent.,The Veteran's left knee osteoarthritis and instability do not warrant a rating greater than 10 percent.,A separate 10 percent rating for right knee instability has been granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the threshold requirements for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) during the specified rating periods. There is no evidence of inability to perform sedentary employment due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to obtain her service treatment records and private medical records, particularly those related to Dr. Ober.