BVA decisions by condition
Scars other not of head face or neck: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a scars other not of head face or neck issue in 7,953 decisions. It granted the scars other not of head face or neck issue in 15.3% of them, below the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 51.4%, and remanded it in 33.5%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 22.9% were granted.
Decisions
7,953
2017–2026
Granted
15.3%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
22.9%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
33.5%
Denied: 51.4%
Scars other not of head face or neck outcomes by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 410 | 14.9% | 45.9% | 34.1% |
| 2018 | 699 | 14.4% | 49.2% | 34.5% |
| 2019 | 944 | 13.7% | 49.7% | 37.0% |
| 2020 | 870 | 14.0% | 53.1% | 34.0% |
| 2021 | 837 | 16.7% | 48.6% | 36.7% |
| 2022 | 819 | 14.8% | 43.7% | 41.3% |
| 2023 | 992 | 14.3% | 46.0% | 40.3% |
| 2024 | 984 | 16.8% | 55.4% | 29.0% |
| 2025 | 1,059 | 15.2% | 62.4% | 22.7% |
| 2026 | 339 | 21.5% | 58.7% | 20.1% |
Evidence in granted and denied scars other not of head face or neck decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the scars other not of head face or neck 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 | 604 | 59.8% | 20.4% | +39.5 pts |
| Positive nexus opinion | 795 | 41.5% | 20.4% | +21.1 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 995 | 38.8% | 19.8% | +18.9 pts |
| Buddy statement | 113 | 41.3% | 22.6% | +18.7 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 300 | 32.2% | 22.5% | +9.7 pts |
| Lay statement | 6,216 | 23.9% | 18.4% | +5.5 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 1,863 | 26.5% | 21.6% | +4.9 pts |
| Combat service | 383 | 25.9% | 22.7% | +3.2 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 56.5% of the decisions that granted scars other not of head face or neck.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 40.0% of grants and 16.7% 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 not of head face or neck 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 | 2,512 | 23.5% | 22.6% | +0.9 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 6,089 | 21.3% | 34.0% | −12.7 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied scars other not of head face or neck
Most common reasons in grants
- Caused by the service-connected disability73
- Current diagnosis established34
- Meets criteria for 10 percent rating under DC 780423
- Criteria for 10 percent rating met19
- Service connection established18
- Criteria for service connection met14
- Painful scar10
- Scar is painful10
Most common reasons in denials
- Scar not painful or unstable251
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim246
- Scars not painful or unstable168
- Criteria for compensable rating not met137
- Scar was not painful or unstable77
- Did not meet criteria for compensable rating62
- No current diagnosis61
- Scar is not painful or unstable58
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 not of head face or neck decisions
Granted
Granted secondary to service-connected liver cancer; Caused by liver cancer; Based on VA examiner's finding of scar
Scar is but-for caused by primary shoulder condition; Service connection granted
Entitlement arose on June 15, 2022, the date of lumbar fusion surgery.; Claim was continuously pursued from intent to file.
Denied
Right knee scar measured 0.15 sq. cm.; Scar is well-healed, asymptomatic, and causes no functional impairment.; Does not meet criteria for compensable rating under DC 7802.
No objective signs of disfigurement, instability, pain, or abnormal pigmentation/texture.; Veteran's testimony of pain not supported by objective findings or treatment records.; Evidence weighed against the claim.
Criteria for compensable rating not met; Scars not painful or unstable; Scars less than 144 inches squared
Rules that apply to scars other not of head face or neck 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 not of head face or neck 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 not of head face or neck 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.