The Board denied a compensable evaluation for partial right facial nerve paralysis and denied compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for the veteran's facial scar, finding that both conditions were due to the natural progress of his surgery.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not show any disability associated with the surgical scar or indicate negligence on VA's part in causing the additional disability.
- Claimed conditions
- partial right facial nerve paralysis, facial scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 22, 2002
- Citation
- 0202715
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0202715.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for adjustment disorder with depression, insomnia, and anxiety as secondary to service-connected tinnitus but denied an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss and an increased rating for tinnitus. The remaining claims were remanded.
- Dismissed
The veteran's appeal requests for the issues of right jaw injury and facial scar, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were denied as untimely filed.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial 30 percent rating for a facial scar and a separate 10 percent rating for pain, but dismissed appeals for service connection for sleep apnea and back disability due to untimely notices of disagreement. The claims for an acquired psychiatric disability and headaches were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for steatohepatitis and gastrointestinal impairment, to include chronic diarrhea and GERD. The claims for a chronic cough, right upper extremity neuropathy, left upper extremity neuropathy, facial scar, back disability, left hip disability, bilateral hand osteoarthritis, hemorrhoids, erectile dysfunction, and hypertension were denied.
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