Scars Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for PTSD due to the inability to verify an in-service stressor. The Veteran's initial compensable evaluation for a scar on his thumb is remanded.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection due to conflicting medical opinions and lack of clear evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's lung disability, including his service connection claims. The case will be reviewed with a new VA examination and medical opinion.

The Veteran's scars associated with gallbladder removal surgery are rated as stable and unpainful, with a total area less than 39 sq. cm., which does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his right leg gunshot wound, contributed to his death from heart failure. The decision grants service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following gainful employment from May 21, 2007 to September 14, 2007. However, the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether he was unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities from May 21, 2008 to November 24, 2015.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions likely render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's service-connected musculoskeletal and associated neurological disabilities have rendered him physically incapable of meeting the demands of full-time employment, allowing for a TDIU effective prior to August 8, 2019.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, either before or after July 26, 2012.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's presumed herbicide exposure during service. The claims will be reviewed again with a focus on whether thyroid cancer, hypothyroidism, and scar residuals are related to service, including presumed herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for her service-connected right foot residual scar associated with a right foot bunionectomy was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher disability rating as there is no objective evidence of pain and the scar consists of only one scar.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of all claims in an October 2019 written statement.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left shoulder disability and bilateral plantar fasciitis are being remanded due to the need for additional evaluations.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as a presumptive condition due to in-service noise exposure. The initial rating for his scar, left knee status-post meniscus repair and lateral meniscectomy is granted at 10 percent. His hearing loss is found not to be service-connected. Entitlement to service connection for erectile dysfunction is remanded.

The Board has decided the issues of increased rating for postoperative right knee scars and denied effective dates prior to July 1, 2015, for service connection for a psychiatric disability and Dependency Educational Assistance (DEA). The left knee disability issue is remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on six issues have been dismissed as the Veteran has withdrawn his appeals in a completed VA Appeals Satisfaction Notice.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not prevent him from maintaining gainful employment, and the Board denies his claim for a TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected left shoulder disabilities do not render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment, as his other non-service-connected conditions and age also limit his ability to work.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA examination to assess hearing loss severity, and scheduling another VA examination to determine if the Veteran is entitled to compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for abdominal surgery residuals.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected. The Board has expanded the psychiatric claim to include all acquired psychiatric disabilities, and it is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding these claims. Gout, right lower extremity disability, left lower extremity disability, bilateral hearing loss, chronic liver disease (including hepatitis C), and back disability are also remanded due to lack of sufficient medical evidence.