Scars Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as his service-connected conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under applicable VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently evaluated at 10 percent, and the Board finds no basis to grant a higher evaluation.,There is insufficient evidence to establish service connection for a cervical spine disorder.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and TDIU have been granted. She is currently rated at 50% for bilateral pes planus, 10% for right bunionectomy with healed scar, and her combined rating for bilateral lower extremities (below the knee) is 60%, which meets the criteria for a TDIU effective from June 25, 2008.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including verification of the ship's location during service and VA examinations to assess his varicose veins and scar conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable due to his inability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of whether his service-connected lower lip scar warrants separate ratings. The case will be returned to the Board after any additional development.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and anxiety disorder. The right shoulder condition was rated at 20 percent prior to May 13, 2013, and 40 percent thereafter. The scar on the knee is not compensable.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD, panic disorder, depression, anxiety), and sleep apnea have been granted. The scar of the right breast is rated at 10%.,Service connection has also been established for anemia with a rating of 10%. A higher evaluation is not warranted.

The Veteran's skin cancer with residual scars did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating as there were no characteristics of disfigurement or unstable/painful scars.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded to the AOJ, and an extraschedular evaluation under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b) will be considered by the Director of Compensation Service due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an appendectomy scar and a ventral hernia is being remanded due to incomplete examination reports. The examiner needs to provide an opinion on whether the in-service abdominal discomfort could have been early stages of infection resulting from a small perforation of the appendix.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and extra-schedular considerations have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating or extra-schedular consideration for any of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's right ilium scar was granted a 10 percent rating since June 20, 2008. The low back strain prior to November 7, 2013, warranted a 10 percent rating; however, the claim for an increased rating since that date is denied.

The Veteran has withdrawn his claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected limitation of extension of the right knee, an initial compensable disability rating for service-connected scars of the face, service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury (TBI), and service connection for left foot arthritis.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal, thus the case is dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for right ankle tendonitis and arthritis, as well as lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome, both secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disorders. The acquired psychiatric disorder is not found to be related to his service or any service-connected disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to February 1, 2008, for the reinstatement of VA benefits was denied as VA cannot resume compensation payments more than one year prior to the date of claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment prior to May 18, 2015. From May 18, 2015, as a 100 percent combined schedular rating has been assigned, the matter of entitlement to a TDIU rating is rendered moot.

The Veteran is entitled to a TDIU on both schedular and extra-schedular bases, effective from November 11, 2016. Prior to that date, the Board found insufficient evidence of unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.