Scars Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for a skin condition other than scarring of the lips, as there is insufficient evidence to link it to the Veteran's military service or his service-connected loss of teeth due to trauma.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to July 16, 2013 for service connection of coronary artery disease/left heart catheterization and associated scars.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his left eyebrow scar and initial rating for anxiety disorder are remanded due to the need for missing treatment records and examinations.

The Veteran's initial 10 percent rating for a scar from partial right nephrectomy is granted, but his kidney cancer residuals are remanded due to lack of recent medical evaluation.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, and the Board has remanded to determine if a higher rating is warranted. The TDIU claim was granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for right hand cellulitis and service connection for venereal disease due to lack of consideration of functional impact from pain, need for updated VA treatment records, and need for addendum medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the cases for further evidentiary development due to additional medical records being added to the claim file.

The Board dismissed the appeals for left inguinal pain disorder, right inguinal pain disorder, acid reflux disorder, residual appendectomy scar, and hyperthyroidism. Service connection was granted for hypertension.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from non-sedentary or sedentary employment, and the Board finds that he is not unemployable solely due to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's application to reopen a claim of service connection for PTSD, psychiatric disability other than PTSD, and sleep disorder has been granted. A rating of 50 percent for headaches is granted.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his left eye disability, which is rated at 30 percent under the old criteria and now rated as 30 percent under the revised criteria, has been denied because the evidence does not support a higher evaluation based on visual impairment or incapacitating episodes.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than April 1, 2015 for service connection have been denied.,The Veteran's claims for initial ratings in excess of 30 percent and 10 percent for Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Hemorrhoids have also been denied.

The Board has granted service connection for diverticulitis and residual scarring, status post herniorrhaphy of a ventral hernia as these conditions are found to be related to the Veteran's in-service injuries.

The Veteran is granted a total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) effective March 7, 2015 due to service-connected disabilities that have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further review due to claims of CUE in previous rating decisions and a request for an earlier effective date for PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and its impact on his employability. Additional medical opinions are needed regarding the combined effects of all disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hip, knee, ankle, lumbar spine, and pelvic injury disabilities due to inconsistencies in evidence regarding whether the Veteran was under the influence of alcohol at the time of a motor vehicle accident. The case will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative osteoarthritis, right hip and scar, right hip are granted with a non-compensable rating. The effective date for these grants is August 10, 2007.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a TBI is granted.,An effective date earlier than November 7, 2016, for the award of service connection for residual scars, left periorbital, right upper lip and right chin is denied.,A rating in excess of 10 percent for residual scars, left periorbotal, right upper lip and right chin is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for a right arm scar, finding that it is at least as likely as not secondary to the chronic use of drugs and infections coinciding with drug injection during active duty service.