Scars Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected status-post left breast complex fibroadenoma excision with scar was granted an initial rating of 10 percent prior to June 3, 2014.

The Board has granted service connection for scar tissue and a tissue disability of the subscapular area as a residual of removal of a bullet from the right parasternal area under the scapula.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for traumatic brain injury and a sleep disorder were withdrawn. The Board granted higher ratings for right and left knee disabilities, including scars.,Headaches prior to June 20, 2014 are rated at 30 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical opinions to determine if the Veteran's burn scars and related conditions were aggravated by his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected degenerative disc disease, lumbar spine postoperative laminotomy with scar, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathies. Additional treatment records must be obtained.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and a compensable rating for his right knee scar, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the diabetes claim and concluding that the scar is painful but not disabling enough for a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion regarding his employability given his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, PTSD with anxiety and depression, mild thoracolumbar strain, malaria, and scars, preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not make him unable to obtain and maintain gainful employment, thus the claim for TDIU is denied.

The Veteran is granted total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities from September 29, 2014 forward.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, even when evaluated in association with his educational attainment and occupational experience.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected scar, shell fragment wound, left leg disability, and considering whether separate ratings are warranted for any orthopedic, muscle, or neurological impairment.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to inadequate examination records and the need for updated treatment records. The case will be adjudicated again after these are obtained.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of scar with disfigurement and painful scar, status post nasal laceration. The appeal for service connection for headaches is being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection claims have been denied. The maximum schedular rating available for tinnitus is already assigned, so no higher rating can be granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a concussion, carpal tunnel syndrome of the right hand, and cervical spine disability. The Veteran's right shoulder disability was rated at 20 percent until March 13, 2013, when it was increased to 40 percent. The Board also denied ratings in excess of 20 percent for the Veteran's right upper extremity radiculopathy, and denied compensable ratings for his scars and occipital neuralgia.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the listed issues prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and varicose veins of the right lower extremity, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. However, his employment history is unclear due to conflicting information provided by the Veteran.