Scars Board decisions

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions due to an error in verifying the Veteran's active service and obtaining his complete service personnel records and treatment records.

The Board granted service connection for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for scars residual laceration of the scalp. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder was remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for a painful scar, allergic rhinitis, and tinnitus. The claim for right thigh limitation of flexion was remanded for further development.

The Board denied increased disability evaluations for several conditions, dismissed claims for others, and remanded two issues for further development.

The Board granted service connection for various conditions, including neck disability manifested by pain and diabetes mellitus type II, secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee degenerative arthritis. The other conditions were also granted as they are caused by the now-service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the left knee strain with patellofemoral pain syndrome, meniscal tear and shin splints, but denied higher ratings for other knee conditions. Service connection was also granted for left knee radiculopathy.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and an increased initial rating of 30 percent for gastroesophageal reflux disease with eosinophilic esophagitis, while denying increased ratings for chondromalacia patella of the left and right knees, a compensable rating for three surgical scars on the left lower extremity, major depressive disorder with anxious distress, and headaches. The Board also remanded several claims for further development.

The Board denied increased ratings for various service-connected conditions, including prostate cancer, left lung residuals, tinnitus, hearing loss, erectile dysfunction, and abdominal scar. Service connection was granted for headaches secondary to tinnitus.

The Board remands the claims for additional development, including obtaining VA medical opinion and correcting duty to assist errors.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for left facial scarring as the evidence did not support a finding of disfigurement or other characteristics warranting a compensable evaluation.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for tinnitus and an increased rating for an abdominal scar to ensure compliance with the duty to assist, including obtaining a TERA opinion.

The Veteran withdrew the appeal of all issues, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review these appeals.

The appeal for higher ratings and special monthly compensation was withdrawn by the Veteran before a decision was made.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a separate compensable disability rating for his right hand scar, as he is already receiving a 30 percent rating for painful scars under Diagnostic Code 7804.

The Board granted service connection for a thyroid disability, to include multinodular goiter and malignant tumor of the thymus status post total thyroidectomy with secondary hypothyroidism as secondary to Hodgkin's disease, nodular sclerosing type, blast rich and thymoma, and also granted service connection for a neck scar associated with this thyroid disability.

The Board denied increased ratings for psychiatric disabilities, liver disability, and painful scars of the anterior trunk but granted service connection for tinnitus, urinary incontinence, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder was granted, while claims for chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and other conditions were denied. The rating assigned for irritable bowel syndrome is 30 percent.

The Board granted service connection for discoid lupus and facial scars as secondary to the now-service-connected discoid lupus.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and remanded claims for facial scars, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability.