Scars Board decisions

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for urticaria vasculitis and perirectal abscess painful scar, as there was no evidence of debilitating episodes or unstable scars.

The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his service-connected disabilities contributed substantially to his death.

The Board denied service connection for scars of the BUE, BLE, face, head, and back, and denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for acne, rhinitis, and sinusitis. The Board granted a 10 percent evaluation for service-connected sinusitis but denied compensable ratings for service-connected acne and rhinitis.

The Board granted restoration of a 20 percent rating for left knee recurrent instability from November 17, 2022, and an effective date of September 26, 2006, but not earlier, for the award of service connection for other aspects of left foot surgical scars.

The Board granted restoration of the 50 percent rating for hidradenitis suppurativa (skin condition) scars throughout face and head, the 10 percent rating for anterior trunk scar, and the 40 percent rating for right upper extremity (RUE) scar. The claims for initial compensable ratings for RLE, LUE, and LLE scars were denied.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including stomach disability, fecal incontinence, urinary incontinence, diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, left shoulder disability, residuals of fractured right middle finger, and right hip disability. The Board also denied increased ratings for shin splints, allergic rhinitis with history of sinusitis, post operative turbinate reduction, and residual scar of ganglion cyst removal.

The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea and a rating of 40 percent for status post total right knee replacement (right TKR), while denying increased ratings for the other conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and service connection, except for granting an effective date of September 16, 2022, for service connection for GERD and IBS.

The Board granted service connection for several conditions, including peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities, respiratory disorder with dyspnea, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), abdominal pain syndrome (APS), restless leg syndrome (RLS), chronic headaches, left knee strain, right knee strain, lumbosacral strain, and disability manifested by right shoulder pain. The Board also granted increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities to 40 percent.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, residuals of back injury, residuals of excision of ingrown toenail, left ankle sprain, and pseudofolliculitis on face to obtain additional medical opinions.

The Board granted a higher initial disability rating of 20 percent for gastrectomy residuals and 10 percent for gastrectomy scars, but denied higher ratings for hypertension, tension headaches, bilateral hearing loss, lumbar spine disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and service connection for an enlarged prostate, GERD, cervical spine pain, and right wrist pain.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions as there has not been substantial compliance with its previous directives.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for residuals of appendicitis and surgical scar, status post laparoscopic appendectomy, to ensure a thorough examination addressing the Veteran's theory that his appendicitis was caused by his service-connected GERD.

The Board granted separate ratings for the Veteran's left knee pain and limited flexion, as well as earlier effective dates for service connection of disfiguring and painful scars. The decision also denied a higher rating for PTSD prior to February 5, 2024.

The Board granted a 100 percent rating for hypothyroidism, malignant neoplasm of the thyroid and awarded SMC at the housebound rate.

The Board denied several claims for earlier effective dates and service connection, granted some claims for earlier effective dates, and remanded others for further development.

The Board remands the claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent for pes planus, and ratings in excess of 10 percent for left foot surgical scars and residuals of bunionectomy due to the need for an SOC.

The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the regular need of aid and attendance from March 9, 2012. SMC based on housebound status is denied.

The Board granted an effective date of December 30, 2021 for the grant of service connection for prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, and scars status-post robotic radical prostatectomy.

The Board denied an earlier effective date, a higher initial rating for scars with underlying soft tissue damage, and a compensable rating for stasis dermatitis. The IBS claim was remanded.