The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for scars of the head and an effective date prior to December 22, 2017 for service connection is denied. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7800 due to lack of visible or palpable tissue loss and characteristics of disfigurement.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's scars of the head do not meet the criteria for a higher rating as they do not cover an area of at least six square inches with abnormal texture, which is required to be considered a characteristic of disfigurement under Diagnostic Code 7800.
- Claimed conditions
- scars of the head
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 2, 2020
- Citation
- A20017803
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 an effective date of March 28, 2023 for the award of a 50 percent rating for chronic headaches and a 10 percent rating for scars of the head, but denied ratings in excess of these amounts. The Board also granted service connection for painful scars of the head with an effective date of March 28, 2023.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands all service connection claims for further development, specifically to provide the veteran with adequate VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal is remanded because the VA did not provide the veteran with a copy of their medical examination report before making a decision. The case will be reviewed again after the veteran receives this document.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for the issuance of a Statement of the Case addressing his claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for a keloid scar of the posterior aspect of the head, an effective date prior to August 15, 2015, for service connection for scars of the head, and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for scars of the head.,The Board has determined that these issues should be remanded due to the need for a Statement of the Case.
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