The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for a nonpainful scar on his right lower extremity, as the evidence did not support a finding that the scar met the criteria for a compensable rating under any applicable diagnostic code.
The deciding factor: The scar was found to be less than 6 square inches in area and not painful or unstable, thus failing to meet the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Codes 7801-7805.
- Claimed conditions
- scar, right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 12, 2024
- Citation
- 24002069
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, considering that his service-connected orthopedic disabilities and major depressive disorder contributed substantially to his death.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for initial increased ratings for thoracolumbar spine arthritis, cervical spine arthritis, bilateral lower extremity femoral radiculopathy, and a scar.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matters of an initial compensable rating for hemorrhoid and service connection for a scar, to include as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hemorrhoid disability due to inadequate VA examination and missing medical records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hepatitis C and related conditions as they are inextricably intertwined.
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