Scars Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded to the AOJ.,Effective dates prior to June 6, 2014, are not warranted for awards of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current frostbite residuals of the face, hands, or feet related to service. His skin disorders and peripheral neuropathy are not etiologically related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is not competent to handle disbursement of VA funds due to his mental incapacity, as evidenced by multiple hospitalizations and inability to manage personal finances.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a new VA examination and for further development of the claims.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant through his authorized representative, and thus the appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal has been remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of his claims. The issues include service connection, increased rating, and initial compensable rating for his left shoulder disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied due to the character of his discharge. The Board of Correction of Naval Records upgraded his discharge from general court martial to under honorable conditions in February 2008, which allowed him to receive VA benefits. However, an earlier effective date was not granted as it would have been based on when he filed for correction of his military records.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as she withdrew her appeal in July 2016.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation, and his left inguinal herniorrhaphy scar with entrapment of the left ilio-inguinal nerve causing neuropathy is currently rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of her right tibia fracture residuals and third degree burn scars with multiple skin grants, and determining if there are any underlying tissue damages.

The Board has determined that there was no clear and unmistakable error in the March 1972, November 1973, or April 1997 rating decisions regarding service connection for multiple shrapnel wounds and scar tissue.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute to his death, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected degenerative arthritis of the left hand and the disability rating in excess of 20 percent for service-connected residuals of a traumatic laceration with scar of the left hand prior to August 6, 2015, and 30 percent thereafter.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of an injury to the left fifth finger, as there was no credible evidence of such an injury in service. The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for scar residuals of a right inguinal hernia repair is also denied due to lack of new and material evidence. Service connection for angiokeratoma of the scrotum remains pending.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased and compensable ratings for his service-connected simple bone cyst, left distal tibia, status post bone grafts, and scar, donor graft site, left iliac crest. The evidence did not show ankylosis or malunion of the Os calcis or astragalus, which would warrant a higher rating under DCs 5270, 5272, and 5273. For the scars, there was no indication that they were deep or caused limited motion, nor did they cover an area exceeding 6 square inches (39 sq. cm.).

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated employment information and VA treatment records. A VA examination will be conducted to determine if the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and a new VA examination to assess the severity of his right knee disability. The case will also be reviewed to determine if he qualifies for TDIU based on service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected type 2 diabetes mellitus contributed substantially and materially to his cause of death, which was terminal gastric cancer. The evidence is in equipoise regarding whether this condition proximately caused or aggravated the Veteran's fatal gastric cancer.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including several orthopedic conditions and bipolar disorder, do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.