The Veteran's service-connected scars on the thighs are rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum rating allowed for superficial and nonlinear scars not associated with underlying soft tissue damage. The Board has granted a separate 10 percent rating for unstable scars.
The deciding factor: The evidence was in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's scars were unstable, warranting a separate 10 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 7804.
- Claimed conditions
- Scars
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- April 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19129111
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 Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and other conditions, have prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date, a higher rating for COPD, and a compensable rating for scars.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and remanded the remaining issues to obtain additional evidence, including medical records and opinions.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, type II, prostate cancer, hypertension, erectile dysfunction as secondary to the service-connected conditions, and incontinence as secondary to the service-connected prostate cancer. The decision was based on the Veteran's presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his service near the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
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