Scars Board decisions

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination and consideration of new medical evidence. The AOJ will also review his service-connected IBS and other disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected left leg fracture tibia residuals and left hand palm scar do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance or housebound status due to non-service-connected disabilities requiring assistance.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for her scar, status-post C-section, finding that it is well-healed and without pain or instability.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess her service-connected disabilities' impact on employment.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for PTSD, lumbosacral strain, and left foot scar were denied. The issue of service connection for tinnitus was remanded. Effective date claims for PTSD and lumbosacral strain were not addressed as the issues were not raised in the appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for facial scars to the side of and above the right eye, finding that these scars are due to an injury incurred during active service in a vehicle accident.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claim for service connection for macular scarring. The Board has granted service connection for the residuals of a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for a respiratory disability, to include sinusitis.

The Board has determined that the proper procedures were not followed in determining whether the Veteran is eligible for S-DVI due to his nonservice-connected conditions. The matter must be remanded to ensure compliance with all procedural requirements set forth in the M29-1, including obtaining Attending Physician's Statements (APSs) where required and ensuring that the severity of the nonservice-connected disabilities considered to be disqualifying is accurately considered.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and he is now entitled to a rating of 10 percent for his service-connected neck scar. His claims for left and right knee disorders, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and radiculopathy due to thoracolumbar disorder are all granted.

The Board denied a retroactive CRDP compensation payment in excess of $2,091.15 for periods from May 1, 2017 through January 31, 2018 and from May 1, 2018 through May 31, 2018 due to the prohibition on concurrent payments of military retired pay and VA disability compensation pay without a waiver of a portion of the retired pay.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings and service connection due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran is required to undergo examinations to determine the current severity of his right wrist, eczematoid dermatitis, pseudofolliculitis barbae, PTSD, insomnia, bipolar disorder, and left wrist conditions.

The Veteran's initial and increased evaluations for right knee and shoulder scars have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the issue of determining a compensable rating for a scar of the left upper extremity, first finger of the left hand.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee pain was reopened and granted. The initial rating for bilateral arm scars is now 10 percent, subject to the laws and regulations controlling the award of monetary benefits.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, TBI, a head scar, and a bilateral eye disability due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The claims are being reopened for the bilateral eye disability claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for reentrance into the VA vocational rehabilitation and employment program, finding that his service-connected disabilities have not worsened to the extent that he is precluded from performing work duties or that the occupation previously found rehabilitated is unsuitable.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and evaluations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed left index finger disability, right hand and forearm disabilities, and peripheral nerve conditions. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for acne with residual scars is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, and his gastric adenocarcinoma and residual scar from gastric surgery are both granted service connection based on in-service herbicide agent exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for specially adapted housing and special home adaptation grant is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. The Veteran needs an examination to assess his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to use aids such as braces, crutches, canes or a wheelchair.