Scars Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ankle disability, presumed secondary to his right ankle and right knee disabilities as well as asthma, should be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings on several service-connected conditions have been remanded by the Board of Veterans' Appeals. The issues include right thigh shrapnel injury residuals, left lower extremity scars, and left foot shell fragment wound residuals.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him incapable of securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, and the Board granted his claim for TDIU.

The Board has granted a 10 percent disability rating for the Veteran's left inguinal hernia scar. The case is remanded to determine an appropriate rating for his left varicocele.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an enlarged prostate, scar related to soft tissue sarcoma of the left upper chest, and sigmoid colon diverticula was denied. The Veteran's claim for a scar related to soft tissue sarcoma of the left upper chest received a 10 percent rating effective May 25, 2016.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his combined rating did not meet the schedular criteria and that he was capable of obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is rated at 40 percent from February 4, 2014. His lumbar scar is rated at 10 percent. The TDIU was granted effective August 1, 2014.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render her unable to engage and maintain substantially gainful employment, including in a sedentary environment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted TDIU.

The Board has found the July 8, 2017 Notice of Disagreement (NOD) timely and remanded several issues related to service-connected disabilities including TDIU, DEA benefits, right total knee replacement rating, hypertension rating, right knee scar rating, left knee scar ratings, and SMC.

The Veteran's nerve damage of the right knee is not service connected, and his right knee scars do not meet criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 7805. The case is remanded due to insufficient evidence on these issues.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 10 percent, effective February 1, 2017.,The Veteran meets the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new and material evidence having been received. The issues of PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and anxiety disorder), sleep disorder, TBI, head scar, and skull disorder are now pending.

The Board has remanded the claims for chronic left Achilles tendonitis, residuals of pneumonia with left lower lung scar and COPD, and TDIU due to missing private records from Kaiser Permanente. The Appellant must be notified about the availability of these records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered her unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, resulting in the grant of TDIU. The claims for respiratory disorder and sleep apnea are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates are being remanded. The effective date for the award of service connection for anterior neck scar is set at September 15, 2011.

The Veteran's anterior chest and left lower extremity scars associated with his coronary artery bypass graft were granted a rating of 10 percent prior to December 29, 2016. Since then, the scars have not been painful or unstable, so no higher rating is warranted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to December 7, 2010.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for liposarcoma, its secondary effects on his scar and cervical spine, and a temporary total evaluation due to hospitalization or convalescence. The deck logs from USS Forrestal (CV-59) need to be obtained and reviewed to determine if there were fuel leaks during the Veteran's service that could support his claim of exposure to jet fuels. A new VA opinion is needed regarding whether liposarcoma is related to this exposure, and another VA opinion is needed on whether the secondary conditions are at least as likely as not due to or aggravated by liposarcoma.