Scars Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to deficiencies in previous examinations and incomplete records.

The Board found that the Veteran's scars on her bilateral lower extremities were not painful or unstable, and thus did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation. The RO reduced her ratings from 10% to noncompensable effective April 1, 2010.

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 service connection claims for stomach disorder, right knee disorder, and left knee surgical scars were granted. The initial compensable rating claim for the left knee surgical scars was denied as noncompensably disabling. The TDIU claim was granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including posttraumatic stress disorder and a gunshot wound to the right pectoralis major muscle, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted TDIU based on this finding.

The Veteran's current respiratory disabilities of COPD, asthma, and pleural scarring/nodules are due to in-service use of tobacco products and were manifest during service. The Board finds that the criteria for service connection have been met.

The Board has granted service connection for chest pain as a residual of spontaneous pneumothoraces, apart from scars. The preponderance of the evidence supports this outcome.

The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the scalp and painful and unstable scarring of the face and neck have been rated at 30 percent since October 23, 2008. The rating for squamous cell carcinoma has not changed from that date.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, ilio-inguinal nerve entrapment, and left herniorrhaphy scar disabilities have improved to the point that a restoration of their respective ratings is warranted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's uterine fibroids had their onset in service and have resulted in residual disability, granting her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have been rated appropriately, and no higher ratings are warranted.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Board has restored the Veteran's disability rating of 10 percent for a left leg surgical scar effective from September 1, 2014, as the reduction was not properly applied and is void ab initio.

The Board found that the Veteran's additional disabilities, including punctured diaphragm, renal failure, other organ failure, cardiac arrest, or scar, were not caused by VA carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or an event not reasonably foreseeable. Therefore, his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including schizoaffective disorder and bilateral inguinal hernias, do not prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment. He is rated at 100% for schizoaffective disorder since December 20, 2013, but his other disabilities are rated less than 60%. The Board denied the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for right wrist disability is granted, with a noncompensable evaluation.,The Veteran's compensable scars from the right leg are maintained. The current evidence does not support an increase in the rating.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen service connection for PTSD and left ankle disorder. These claims are remanded for further review.,Service connection is granted for PTSD, trichotillomania, and asthma due to Agent Orange exposure and smoke inhalation.,The Veteran's heart condition and spinal disorder have not been established as service-connected.,The Veteran's dental disorders do not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's right wrist disability, characterized by postoperative residuals of a fracture with degenerative changes and painful surgical scars, is currently rated at 10 percent under the appropriate diagnostic codes. The Board finds that this rating adequately reflects his current level of impairment.

The Veteran's GERD has been rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds a higher rating is not warranted.,For his bilateral foot disability, the Veteran was previously assigned a 10 percent rating. The Board finds that a higher rating of 30 percent for each foot is warranted based on the severity of his symptoms.

The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether there was an improvement in the Veteran's service-connected post-operative left knee scar. Restoration of a 10 percent evaluation for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is at least 70 percent, and his PTSD is rated at 50 percent disabling. The criteria for entitlement to a TDIU have been met.