BVA decisions by condition
Scar(s) unstable or painful: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a scar(s) unstable or painful issue in 4,273 decisions. It granted the scar(s) unstable or painful issue in 26.5% of them, above the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 47.1%, and remanded it in 27.5%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 36.0% were granted.
Decisions
4,273
2017–2026
Granted
26.5%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
36.0%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
27.5%
Denied: 47.1%
Scar(s) unstable or painful outcomes by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 135 | 22.2% | 22.2% | 48.1% |
| 2018 | 250 | 22.8% | 28.8% | 44.0% |
| 2019 | 386 | 21.5% | 36.5% | 39.6% |
| 2020 | 480 | 26.3% | 46.5% | 30.8% |
| 2021 | 464 | 26.7% | 49.8% | 25.9% |
| 2022 | 460 | 29.3% | 42.4% | 30.2% |
| 2023 | 550 | 26.9% | 45.5% | 28.7% |
| 2024 | 605 | 28.9% | 50.7% | 22.5% |
| 2025 | 690 | 24.3% | 61.6% | 15.5% |
| 2026 | 253 | 33.6% | 54.2% | 15.4% |
Evidence in granted and denied scar(s) unstable or painful decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the scar(s) unstable or painful 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 | 220 | 58.1% | 35.1% | +23.0 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 617 | 48.8% | 33.2% | +15.5 pts |
| Lay statement | 3,374 | 38.8% | 23.9% | +14.8 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 183 | 48.3% | 35.4% | +12.8 pts |
| Positive nexus opinion | 483 | 44.1% | 34.8% | +9.3 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 1,125 | 39.6% | 34.6% | +4.9 pts |
| Combat service | 239 | 39.5% | 35.8% | +3.8 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 59.1% of the decisions that granted scar(s) unstable or painful.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 44.2% 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 scar(s) unstable or painful 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 | 1,417 | 35.0% | 36.5% | −1.5 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 3,310 | 35.5% | 38.8% | −3.4 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied scar(s) unstable or painful
Most common reasons in grants
- Criteria for 10 percent rating met33
- Current diagnosis established28
- Caused by the service-connected disability21
- Meets criteria for 10 percent rating under DC 780418
- Painful scar warrants 10 percent rating under DC 780417
- Service connection established15
- Scar is painful13
- 10 percent rating granted12
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim120
- Criteria for compensable rating not met88
- Scar not painful or unstable86
- Scar not unstable or painful38
- No current diagnosis38
- Scar was not painful or unstable36
- Did not meet criteria for compensable rating35
- Scars not painful or unstable30
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 scar(s) unstable or painful decisions
Granted
Veteran credibly testified scar was painful; Benefit of the doubt resolved in veteran's favor; Met criteria for 10% rating under DC 7804
Veteran's testimony; VA exam found tenderness to palpation; Three scars identified
Veteran reported continuous pain in the scar; Board found veteran's report fully credible; Met criteria for 10 percent rating under DC 7804
Denied
Scars did not exceed 929 sq cm for DC 7802; No soft tissue damage for DC 7801; Scars not unstable or painful for DC 7804; No disabling effects for DC 7805
Insufficient evidence to show Veteran has a knee scar.; No medical evidence or treatment source identified for the scar.; Entrance exam noted a scar but did not specify location; separation exam was negative.
Scar does not cover 144 square inches; No indication of instability or pain; VA exam found scar tender, but not painful
Rules that apply to scar(s) unstable or painful 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 scar(s) unstable or painful 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 scar(s) unstable or painful 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.