C&P Exam for Scar, unstable or painful (DC 7804)

For scar, unstable or painful (DC 7804), the C&P examiner completes the following Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ):

• DBQ DERM Scars (public PDF on VA.gov)

DBQs are Department of Veterans Affairs Form 21-0960 series documents. Public DBQs are hosted on benefits.va.gov. A handful are examiner-only and are not posted publicly.

The following tiers are reproduced from 38 CFR Part 4, the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities. Toggle between the official VA criteria and a Plain English explanation.

Plain-English summaries are AI-generated to explain the official criteria. The official 38 CFR language is the binding legal standard. When in doubt, ask a VSO.

The counts below are aggregated from published Board of Veterans Appeals decisions for this diagnostic code. Each row reports how often a given evidence type was discussed in the decision text, broken down by outcome. This is a factual aggregate of the public record, not a prediction or recommendation about any specific claim.

• VA examination: appeared in 27 granted decisions (11 denied, 10 remanded; 48 total)
• Buddy / lay statements: appeared in 5 granted decisions (1 denied, 0 remanded; 6 total)
• Private medical opinion: appeared in 1 granted decision (1 denied, 0 remanded; 2 total)
• Service treatment records: appeared in 0 granted decisions (1 denied, 0 remanded; 1 total)

The themes below were extracted by clustering 500 grant-factor sentences from published Board of Veterans Appeals decisions for this diagnostic code. Frequencies indicate how often each theme appeared in the sample. This is a factual aggregate of the public record, not advice or strategy for any specific claim.

1. 32% Benefit of the doubt standard explained or applied generally
   The Board cited the legal standard that when positive and negative evidence is in approximate balance on a material issue, the benefit of the doubt is resolved in the claimant's favor, without tying the statement to a specific scar finding.
   162 of 500 sample sentences
2. 19% Preponderance of evidence against claim, benefit of doubt inapplicable
   The Board found that the weight of evidence persuasively opposed the claim, making the benefit of the doubt doctrine inapplicable and resulting in denial.
   97 of 500 sample sentences
3. 11% VA or private examiner nexus opinion cited as at least as likely as not
   A VA or private medical examiner provided an opinion that a disability or its etiology was at least as likely as not related to service or a service-connected condition.
   54 of 500 sample sentences
4. 8% Benefit of the doubt resolved in favor of scar pain or tenderness finding
   The Board applied the benefit of the doubt doctrine and found that the veteran's scar was painful, tender, or symptomatic, warranting a compensable rating under DC 7804.
   42 of 500 sample sentences
5. 5% 10 percent rating granted for painful or tender scar under DC 7804
   The Board awarded a 10 percent disability rating for a service-connected scar found to be painful or tender based on lay statements, treatment records, or examination findings.
   26 of 500 sample sentences
6. 4% Evidence in equipoise supporting scar or skin disability rating
   The Board found the evidence in relative equipoise regarding whether the veteran's scar met the criteria for a compensable rating under DC 7804 or a related skin diagnostic code.
   22 of 500 sample sentences
7. 2% Separate compensable rating granted for scar distinct from underlying disability
   The Board granted a separate 10 percent rating for a scar disability under DC 7804, recognizing it as distinct from the underlying condition such as a hernia repair, orchiectomy, or gunshot wound.
   9 of 500 sample sentences
8. 2% Veteran's lay statement of scar pain accepted as competent and credible
   The Board found the veteran competent and credible to report that his scar was painful or symptomatic, placing the evidence at least in equipoise with contrary examination findings.
   8 of 500 sample sentences
9. 1% Evidence persuasively against compensable scar rating, claim denied
   The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating for the veteran's scar under DC 7804 because objective examination did not confirm pain, tenderness, or instability.
   7 of 500 sample sentences
10. 1% Objective medical evidence of scar tenderness or pain noted on examination
    Treatment records or VA examination reports documented objective findings of tenderness, pain on palpation, or other physical findings corroborating the veteran's scar complaints.
    6 of 500 sample sentences
11. 1% VA examiner scar nexus or severity opinion cited in rating determination
    A VA examiner's specific opinion regarding the nature, severity, or service connection of a scar was cited by the Board as probative evidence in assigning or denying a disability rating.
    6 of 500 sample sentences
12. 1% Effective date for scar rating resolved in veteran's favor
    Resolving the benefit of the doubt in the veteran's favor, the Board established an effective date for the scar rating tied to the date of the claim or first reported complaint of scar symptoms.
    4 of 500 sample sentences