VA Compensation Appeals for Partial Nose Loss – Everything You Need to Know
If you suffered a partial nose loss during or due to your military service, you deserve disability compensation. Unfortunately, getting this compensation is rarely straightforward. If the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) denied your claim, you can appeal the decision. You do not need to handle this process alone; a veterans’ disability advocate can help you obtain partial nose loss veterans benefits.
Call (888) 373-4722 for a free consultation.
How to Obtain Partial Nose Loss Veterans Benefits
To obtain the monthly disability benefits you deserve for your partial nose loss, you must establish a current diagnosis of partial nose loss, in-service event that could have caused your diagnosis, and a nexus between your in-service event and your partial nose loss.
You Have a Valid, Current Diagnosis of Partial Nose Loss
You must have a valid and current diagnosis of partial nose loss. Your diagnosis should outline which portion of your nose you lost.
An In-Service Event, Injury or Illness That Could Have Caused Your Diagnosis
A successful appeal requires evidence of an event, injury, or illness that occurred during your military service that could have caused or contributed to your injury. You can establish this criterion if you lost a part of your nose during your service.
A Nexus Between Your In-Service Event and Your Partial Nose Loss
This is the most important part of your appeal. You must be able to prove that there is a medical nexus, or link, between the event that occurred during your service and your partial nose loss.
For example, an IED exploded near you during your service. Shrapnel hit your face and caused you to lose a portion of your nose.
What You Can Expect to Receive Monthly for Your Partial Nose Loss
Once the VA has determined that you meet all necessary criteria for service connection benefits, it will issue you a disability rating. Disability ratings range in tiers of 10% to 100% and depend on the severity of your medical condition. Most medical conditions have a schedule of ratings that VA rating specialists use when considering your claim.
The schedule of ratings for partial nose loss are as follows:
- 30% disability rating: “Exposing both nasal passages”
- 10% disability rating: “Loss of part of one ala, or other obvious disfigurement”
The code dictates that the VA can alternatively apply the rating criteria under diagnostic code 7800 for scars (disfiguring head, face, or neck).
- 80% disability rating: “With visible or palpable tissue loss and either gross distortion or asymmetry of three or more features or paired sets of features (nose, chin, forehead, eyes (including eyelids), ears (auricles), cheeks, lips), or with six or more characteristics of disfigurement.”
- 50% disability rating: “With visible or palpable tissue loss and either gross distortion or asymmetry of two features or paired sets of features (nose, chin, forehead, eyes (including eyelids), ears (auricles), cheeks, lips), or with four or five characteristics of disfigurement.”
- 30% disability rating: “With visible or palpable tissue loss and either gross distortion or asymmetry of one feature or paired set of features (nose, chin, forehead, eyes (including eyelids), ears (auricles), cheeks, lips), or; with two or three characteristics of disfigurement.”
- 10% disability rating: “With one characteristic of disfigurement.”
The characteristics of disfigurement are:
- “Scar five or more inches (13 or more cm.) in length”
- “Scar at least one-quarter inch (0.6 cm.) wide at widest part”
- “Surface contour of scar elevated or depressed on palpation”
- “Scar adherent to underlying tissue”
- “Skin hypo- or hyper-pigmented in an area exceeding six square inches”
- “Skin texture abnormal (irregular, atrophic, shiny, scaly, etc.) in an area exceeding six square inches”
- “Underlying soft tissue missing in an area exceeding six square inches”
- “Skin indurated and inflexible in an area exceeding six square inches”
Monthly Disability Compensation for Partial Nose Loss
Once you receive a disability rating, you can determine the monthly compensation to which you are entitled. The monthly compensation amounts are as follows for a single veteran with no dependents:
- 10%: $142.29 per month
- 20%: $281.27 per month
- 30%: $435.69 per month
- 40%: $627.61 per month
- 50%: $893.43 per month
- 60%: $1,131.68 per month
- 70%: $1,426.17 per month
- 80%: $1,657.80 per month
- 90%: $1,862.96 per month
- 100%: $3,106.04 per month
A Veterans’ Disability Advocate Can Help You Get the Disability Benefits You Deserve
Obtaining the benefits you deserve for fighting for your country is often more difficult than it should be. But you do not need to fight alone. A VA disability advocate can help you get the partial nose loss veterans benefits you deserve. Get VA disability help today.
Call (888) 373-4722 for a free consultation. You pay nothing until you win benefits. *
