Scars Board decisions

The Board granted service connection for left knee, right knee, lumbosacral strain, and right hand scars, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, sinusitis, urticaria, allergic rhinitis, tension headaches, shoulder bursitis, foot plantar fasciitis, ankle tendonitis, thumb strain, and PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder. The Board also remanded claims for fatigue, CFS, sleep apnea, and amputated left little finger.

The Veteran's service-connected dry eye syndrome is granted a 20 percent evaluation, while his left leg scar does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal requests for the specified rating decisions were denied as they were not timely filed, and good cause was not shown to accept late filings.

The Board denied service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy, hearing loss, and various other conditions as the evidence did not support a finding of direct or secondary causation to active service.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection and increased ratings for various conditions but granted restoration of a 10 percent rating for left and right pubic symphysis DJD with limitation of hip extension.

The Veteran was granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance due to a service-connected prostate disability.

The Board remands the claim for an increased rating for residual scar(s) of basal cell carcinoma to obtain private medical records from Dr. C.C.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for the 10 percent evaluation of residual surgical scar, status post C-section and the 60 percent evaluation of pulmonary vascular disease (including pulmonary thromboembolism) with obstructive sleep apnea.

The appeal for issues related to eczema, IBS, headaches, liver disability, enlarged prostate and urinary frequency, allergic rhinitis, and restrictive lung disease were dismissed. The claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for allergic rhinitis was denied.

The veteran withdrew the appeal for increased disability ratings and service connection for certain conditions.

The appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus was denied, and the appeals for increased ratings and service connection for various conditions were dismissed as a matter of law due to concurrent elections.

The appeal of the proposed reduction from 10 percent to noncompensable for both bilateral tinea pedis and contact dermatitis, bilateral thighs with residual scarring was dismissed due to a procedural defect.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for migraines, cervical spinal stenosis, a scar on neck, and right ankle disability, as well as increased ratings for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. The appeal for service connection for PTSD was denied due to insufficient evidence of a current diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board granted a 10 percent rating for the Veteran's left breast scar from January 31, 2024, and dismissed appeals for an increased rating for left breast phyllodes tumor excision surgery and special monthly compensation for loss of use of a creative organ (SMC-K).

The Board remands the claim for a compensable rating for residual scars as a result of squamous cell carcinoma of the hands and lower extremities to ensure VA makes adequate efforts to obtain relevant private treatment records from Dr. M.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection and higher initial evaluations for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, actinic keratoses, plantar fasciitis, basal cell carcinoma, and various musculoskeletal issues.

The Board denied the veteran's request for an earlier effective date for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD and migraine headaches.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for residual scar burn reconstructive surgery of anterior and posterior trunk due to a duty-to-assist error regarding obtaining surgical records.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and remanded several issues, including those related to bunionectomy scars and effective dates.

The Board remands the claim for a recurrent pulmonary disability to ensure that there is a complete record upon which to decide the claim, including obtaining a thorough and contemporaneous medical examination.