Scars Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity that they preclude substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The Board has determined that more current VA examinations are needed to properly rate the Veteran's service-connected hemorrhoids and burn scar of the right arm due to the passage of time since his last examinations. The claims will be remanded for these purposes.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran not being provided with a hearing in Florida as requested. The appeal is now pending for further action.

The Veteran's appeal for a temporary total rating for convalescence following surgery for a service-connected disability was dismissed due to the grant of such benefit in a May 2016 rating decision.

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus is assigned a maximum schedular rating of 10 percent, and no higher. The issues of entitlement to service connection for TBI, dental trauma, asthma, PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disability (other than PTSD), and hearing loss in the right ear are remanded for additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for left foot cellulitis with a surgical scar and right ankle tendonitis have been denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or chronic conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA records and providing notice of secondary service connection.

The Veteran's left hand disability is currently rated at 10 percent under Diagnostic Codes 5309 and 7804. The Board finds that the Veteran is not entitled to a higher rating for his service-connected left hand disability.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for service connection claims and initial disability rating claims. The Board found no evidence of a current left shoulder disorder, and the issues concerning bilateral hand disorders, left wrist disorders, mechanical low back pain with mild joint facet arthropathy, postoperative residuals of a fracture of the right wrist, right wrist surgical scar, and left ankle sprain were not addressed due to lack of service connection claims. The Veteran's appeal is denied.

The Veteran withdrew all appeals regarding her disability claims prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's service-connected abdominal scar and acquired psychiatric disorder were not granted. The abdominal scar was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability, and the psychiatric disorder claim was denied due to lack of credible supporting evidence for the claimed in-service stressor.

The Board finds that the Veteran's retinal scars and macular degeneration are related to in-service arc welding, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's left foot hallux valgus and bunionectomy scar of the left foot are currently rated at 10 percent each, with no higher ratings possible under applicable diagnostic codes.,Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left feet is denied as not secondary to service-connected hallux valgus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the failure to schedule a Travel Board hearing. The case will be returned to the Board for further action.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and initial evaluations have been denied. The current evaluations assigned are considered appropriate based on the evidence of record.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for additional examinations and development due to inconsistencies in his hearing loss claim and the need for updated medical evidence regarding his sciatic nerve neuropathy.

The Board has determined that an additional VA examination is needed to clarify whether the Veteran's pre-existing acne condition was aggravated during service and if so, whether this aggravation led to permanent scarring. The case will be returned to the RO for readjudication after considering all new evidence.

The Board has denied service connection for sleep apnea as a TBI residual, finding that the Veteran's current disability is not related to his in-service explosion. The Board granted service connection for multiple explosion residuals of TBI, headaches, and facial scars.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal, accepting the decision made by the AMC and Montgomery Regional Office.

The Veteran does not have scar residuals of shrapnel wounds to the face, and there is no evidence linking this condition to service. As a result, the claim for service connection is denied.