Scars — all decisions

The Board denied an initial rating higher than 10 percent for residual scars from basal cell carcinoma and remanded the claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder.

The veteran withdrew his appeal prior to the promulgation of a decision, and all claims were dismissed.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral flatfoot and acne scars due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including missing personnel records and inadequate medical opinions.

The Board granted restoration of the 10 percent rating for right and left hip limitation of extension, denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for back disability, and denied increased ratings for other conditions.

The appeal for service connection and initial rating claims has been withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Board restored the 10 percent rating for GERD, denied increased ratings for other conditions, and remanded service connection claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) as it was not factually ascertainable that he was unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to April 28, 2016.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and residuals of boils on buttocks, but granted service connection for sleep apnea.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various disabilities, including a lumbar spine disability and radiculopathies of both lower extremities, as well as left inguinal hernia and its scar.

The Board denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's horizontal scar of lower abdominal area, anterior trunk as there was no evidence showing that the condition met the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board reinstated the 50 percent disability rating for squamous cell carcinoma of the scalp with surgical scars, effective February 19, 2024. Service connection was also restored for lumbosacral strain and various radiculopathies.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including obstructive sleep apnea and back disability, preclude his ability to secure and follow substantially gainful employment from March 19, 2025.

The Board denied a separate disability rating for residuals of status post left inguinal hernia repair, other than scar.

The Board granted a 100 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), but denied service connection for a right ankle disability, an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, a compensable rating for renal insufficiency as a residual of rhabdomyolysis, and other claims.

The Board denied service connection for vertigo, secondary to tinnitus and a compensable rating for the cesarean section scar. The claims for service connection for left ankle condition, right ankle status post achilles tendon repair, right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, osteoarthritis of both hips, right wrist condition, and left wrist condition were remanded.

The Board granted the appeal and restored service connection for GERD with cirrhosis of the liver, cholelithiasis with chronic cholecystitis, and surgical and painful right subcostal scars, s/p cholecystectomy. The claim for readjudication of PTSD was also granted, while other claims were denied.

The Veteran's service-connected headaches were granted a rating of 50 percent, and she was also granted TDIU, DEA, and SMC for the period from March 27, 2017, to August 20, 2017.

The Board granted earlier effective dates of March 26, 2012 for service connection for coronary artery disease and associated scars post quadruple bypass.

The Board granted service connection for several conditions, including lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and radiculopathy of the sciatic and femoral nerves, with effective dates from March 15, 2013. The Board also granted a TDIU and DEA based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board granted a 30 percent rating for headaches with auras and a 10 percent rating for temporomandibular joint disorders, unspecified. Service connection was denied for various conditions including disabilities causing numbness, hearing loss, hip and spine issues, chest pain, dizziness, erectile dysfunction, psychiatric disorder, wrist disability, shortness of breath, ankle and eye pain, and sleep apnea.