Scars Board decisions

The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease rating was reduced from 40% to 20%, effective June 1, 2017. The reduction is being remanded as it may have been improper.,The Veteran’s lumbar spine degenerative disc disease has now been restored to a 40% rating.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating determinations due to outstanding VA and private treatment records, as well as a need for medical opinions regarding his sleep apnea and scars.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as the effective dates are not earlier than June 30, 2016.,Claims for increased ratings for scars of the bilateral knees and left foot and metatarsal base fracture of the left foot with degenerative arthritis were also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities, including thoracolumbar spine strain with sprain and spondylosis, left lower extremity sensory neuropathy of the sciatic nerve, PTSD, hypertension, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left hand burn scar. The Board granted TDIU on both a schedular and an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to July 11, 2014, for the grant of service connection for scar, status post left thoracotomy is denied. The earliest filing date was July 11, 2014.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings were denied. The right shoulder disability was rated as 20 percent disabling, and the left foot great toe fracture was not assigned a compensable rating.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine if there are any current liver or abdominal disabilities, their etiology, and whether they are related to service.

The Board denied an initial compensable rating for service-connected residual scars, status post-operative repair of atrial septal defect due to the absence of objective evidence of painful or unstable scars on examination.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, respiratory disability (claimed as collapsed left lung), cardiovascular disability (claimed as high blood pressure and increased heart rate), right knee disability, left knee disability, left chest scar, and unspecified depressive disorder.,The Veteran's claims for these conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date and initial compensable rating for a skin disability, diagnosed as cystic acne, chloracne, hidradenitis suppurativa, and extensive scarring, is being remanded due to procedural issues and the need to review the applicable rating criteria.

The Veteran's right and left arm lipoma residual scarring were granted a 10 percent rating from September 27, 2013 through January 16, 2020. The Veteran's bilateral thigh lipomas are denied as there is no evidence of ongoing complaints or functional impairment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, thus his claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability is denied.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to February 28, 2008 was denied as he did not meet the schedular requirements and there was no evidence of unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU rating, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and initial disability ratings are remanded due to insufficient evidence of the current severity of his right foot and ankle disabilities, including any residuals. The Veteran also has a TDIU claim that needs further development.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date of July 22, 2016 for service connection for costochondritis is granted.,The claims seeking initial compensable disability ratings for incomplete right bundle branch block and scars are dismissed.,The claim seeking a TDIU is also dismissed.,The petition to reopen the Veteran's previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for a skin disability, to include eczema, is granted. The claim is addressed further in the 'Reasons for Remand' section below.,Service connection for PTSD is granted based on evidence that the Veteran experienced an in-service personal assault and has current symptoms related to this event.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience during the period from January 1, 2010 through June 18, 2010.

The Veteran's right anterior tibia scar was initially rated as noncompensable and later increased to 10 percent. The PTSD claim resulted in a denial of an initial rating in excess of 30 percent, with the exception of August 14, 2015 when it was granted at 50 percent. The Veteran's diverticulitis with GERD claim was denied.,The Board found no evidence to support increased ratings for any conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a scar or nodule on his left thigh, finding that there is no evidence of an in-service injury and insufficient supporting medical evidence to establish a link between any current condition and service.

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