The Veteran's claims for initial compensable disability evaluations for scarring of the head, face, and neck as well as scarring of the right upper extremity and posterior trunk have been denied. The Board found that there was no evidence of characteristics of disfigurement or other disabling effects warranting a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's scars did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation based on the specific requirements of Diagnostic Codes (DCs) 7800, 7801, 7802, and 7805 as they were not deep or nonlinear, associated with underlying soft tissue damage, painful, or unstable.
- Claimed conditions
- Scarring of head, face, and neck, Scarring of right upper extremity and posterior trunk
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2019
- Citation
- 19133026
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
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