Scars Board decisions

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for pseudofolliculitis barbae with scarring due to the Veteran's failure to attend an examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral maxillary sinusitis, right foot sural neuropathy, right fifth metatarsal surgical scar, and GERD.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for various disabilities, including lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, radiculopathy of both femoral and sciatic nerves, tension headaches, residual scarring, and PTSD.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected HIV infection with fibromatoses, and remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for an abdominal scar from an appendectomy, also as secondary to the service-connected HIV infection with fibromatoses.

The Board granted a rating of 20 percent, but no higher, for the Veteran's scar from spinal surgery.

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including fatigue, bilateral eye disability, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, GERD, penile condition, left foot disability, and others. Some claims were remanded for further development.

The veteran was granted service connection for sleep apnea and an initial rating of 50 percent for migraine headaches, while other claims were denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and other benefits due to insufficient evidence of disability severity beyond the current ratings.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating prior to June 10, 2025, for left index finger scar and an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for residual of left index finger laceration.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of October 7, 2020 for the award of service connection and denied a higher rating than 20 percent.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals denied service connection for the cause of death, finding that there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and his metastatic rectal carcinoma.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of February 1, 2021, for the award of service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and related disabilities.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for all service connection and rating claims, resulting in the dismissal of each claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a higher disability rating for facial scarring and a compensable rating for vertigo, as the evidence did not support ratings in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has denied service connection for multiple conditions and denied higher initial ratings for several service-connected disabilities.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an effective date of October 24, 2022, for obstructive sleep apnea. Other claims were denied or remanded.

The Board denied increased ratings for tinnitus, corneal scar of the right eye with cataract and pinguecula, and PTSD, but remanded a claim for service connection for a skin disorder.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for service connection of focal mild squamous epithelial dysplasia and condylomatous changes with atypical squamous metaplasia post total abdominal hysterectomy, gallbladder cholecystectomy, cholecystectomy scar, hypothyroidism, and special monthly compensation (SMC) based on anatomical loss of creative organ. Service connection for diabetes mellitus type II (DMII) and anemia was also granted.

The Board granted a 10 percent initial rating for residual scars from basal cell carcinoma and service connection for chronic kidney disease, which was caused by the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus and hypertensive vascular disease. The claims for service connection for a cervical spine disability and headaches were remanded.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for oral trauma residuals, to include mouth injury and scar, due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.