BVA decisions by condition
Scars other: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a scars other issue in 956 decisions. It granted the scars other issue in 15.8% of them, below the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 49.6%, and remanded it in 33.5%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 24.2% were granted.
Decisions
956
2017–2026
Granted
15.8%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
24.2%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
33.5%
Denied: 49.6%
Scars other outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 229 | 16.2% | 41.0% | 35.8% | 7.0% |
| 2018 | 373 | 12.6% | 42.6% | 40.5% | 4.3% |
| 2019 | 204 | 18.6% | 46.6% | 34.3% | 0.5% |
| 2021 | 50 | 8.0% | 58.0% | 34.0% | 0.0% |
| 2023 | 51 | 15.7% | 68.6% | 15.7% | 0.0% |
| 2025 | 51 | 9.8% | 66.7% | 21.6% | 2.0% |
Each row counts issues (each condition the Board decided), so the shares add up to 100%. Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome. Years with fewer than 50 issues are left out.
Evidence in granted and denied scars other decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the scars other issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claimed as secondary | 57 | 44.1% | 23.0% | +21.1 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 123 | 36.9% | 21.6% | +15.2 pts |
| Positive nexus opinion | 83 | 36.7% | 22.8% | +13.8 pts |
| Lay statement | 762 | 26.2% | 15.0% | +11.1 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 42 | 34.3% | 23.6% | +10.7 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 229 | 25.7% | 23.6% | +2.2 pts |
| Combat service | 61 | 19.4% | 24.4% | −5.0 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 67.5% of the decisions that granted scars other.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 50.3% of grants and 17.9% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often scars other was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 312 | 20.5% | 26.2% | −5.7 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 649 | 21.6% | 33.1% | −11.5 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied scars other
Most common reasons in grants
- Meets criteria for 10 percent rating under DC 78047
- Caused by the service-connected disability5
- Current diagnosis established4
- Already at the maximum schedular rating3
- Scar is painful3
- Service connection granted2
- Scar is not unstable2
- Service connection established2
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim41
- Scar not painful or unstable20
- Scars not painful or unstable15
- No current diagnosis12
- Criteria for compensable rating not met12
- Scar was not painful or unstable8
- Did not meet criteria for compensable rating8
- Scar not unstable or painful7
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent scars other decisions
Granted
Secondary to service-connected morbid obesity; 38 C.F.R. § 3.102 criteria met
Reduction to 0% improper as no improvement shown; July 2024 exam noted condition "stayed the same"; Five or more painful scars with burning pain noted
Conflicting VA examination findings regarding scar tenderness and soft tissue damage.; Evidence at least evenly balanced that scars were always painful but never unstable.; 20% rating under DC 7804 granted for four painful scars.; No evidence supports higher ratings for instability, soft tissue damage, or larger scar areas.
Denied
Service treatment records noted complaints of itching; Medical evidence did not meet criteria for compensable rating
Scar is painful; Warranted 10% under DC 7804; Increased evaluation denied
Scar did not meet area requirement for compensable rating.; Scar was not painful.; Persuasive weight of evidence is against the claim.
Rules that apply to scars other claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your scars other case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a scars other issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.