Scars Board decisions

The Veteran's bilateral hip disability and other service-connected conditions have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment since December 4, 2008. His TDIU claim is granted.

The Veteran's hypertension, left knee disability, right knee disability, bilateral pes planus, left foot disability, left-hand disability (including nerve damage and scar), pseudofolliculitis barbae, and alopecia areata have been remanded for further examination and evaluation.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's left wrist disorder, to include scarring, is not currently service-connected and requires further examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for disfiguring and painful scars of the left and right side of skull were granted effective February 3, 2017. The Board denied requests for earlier effective dates.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a head injury, including a right-side facial scar, memory loss, and headaches. The Board found no current disability related to an in-service head injury and determined that the Veteran did not have a recent diagnosis prior to filing his claim.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to the need for additional examinations and information from the Veteran regarding his employment status.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded as the necessary examinations have not been conducted and he has not completed a VA Form 21-8940.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed elbow, shoulder, ankle, and knee disabilities. The Board will not make a decision on these issues until further evidence has been obtained.

The Veteran's service-connected scars of the breast and left axilla lymph node are not compensable, as they do not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under VA rating criteria.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lung disorder, including COPD, left lower lung scarring, and adenocarcinoma of the left lung, as claimed due to asbestos exposure. The preponderance of evidence did not support a finding that any of these conditions began during service or were related to in-service asbestos exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for tinnitus has been denied as the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent is already assigned.,The Board has remanded several issues including service connection and ratings for various disabilities due to a duty to assist error prior to the May 2018 RAMP opt-in.,Issues include left eye occipital neuralgia, lower extremity sciatica, upper extremity radiculopathy, herpes simplex virus, adjustment disorder with anxiety/depression, migraine headaches, sleep apnea, stroke/vertebral artery dissection, thoracolumbar strain, cervical strain, and scars from hernia repair.,The Veteran's service connection claims for lower and upper extremity sciatica and radiculopathy are remanded due to a duty to assist error prior to the May 2018 RAMP opt-in. VA treatment records need to be obtained from non-VA providers.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and left eyelid scar prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment. The Board finds the AOJ committed a pre-decisional duty to assist error by not sending the case to the Director of the Compensation Service for entitlement to TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and treatment.

The Board denied service connection for joint pain and arthritis, bursitis, loss of sense of smell, loss of sense of taste, bronchitis, gastrointestinal disability (acquired), headaches, bilateral hearing loss, basal cell carcinoma residuals, linear scar of the left upper extremity post-basal cell carcinoma excision, nonlinear scar of the left upper extremity post-basal cell carcinoma excision, actinic keratosis, and residual scars from inguinal hernia repair.

The Board has granted an initial 50 percent rating for PTSD, but the cases of diverticulosis and scars have been remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination for determining the current severity of the Veteran's left knee disability.

The Board denied the claim of service connection for cause of death, finding that there was no causal relationship between the Veteran's service and his death from pulmonary tuberculosis.

The Veteran's chronic headaches began in service and continue to this day.,The Veteran's sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected low back disability.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for PTSD prior to May 16, 2018 is denied.,The Veteran’s claim for a compensable rating for his back scar is remanded.,The Veteran’s claim for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the thoracic spine with chronic lumbar strain is also remanded.

The Veteran's left foot sprain with calcaneal spur is granted an increased rating of 20 percent, effective October 30, 2017.,A separate rating of 10 percent for limitation of motion of the left ankle associated with a left foot sprain and calcaneal spur is granted from October 30, 2017.