Scars and burn injuries are visible service-connected disabilities affecting thousands of veterans who received VA disability compensation. Combat veterans, veterans in vehicle accidents, and veterans exposed to fire or explosive incidents sustained severe burns and traumatic injuries resulting in disfiguring scars. The veteran’s scars and burn damage cause both physical and psychological impairment, affecting the veteran’s self-image, social interactions, and occupational capacity. Many veterans with severe scarring and burn injuries also develop secondary psychological conditions including depression and anxiety. Yet many veterans don’t realize they qualify for VA disability benefits for scars and burn injuries or don’t understand how the VA rates scar and burn disabilities in veterans. This comprehensive article explains how veterans develop service-connected scars and burns, how veterans can file disability claims, what disability ratings veterans with scars receive, and how veterans can maximize compensation for scar and burn injury disabilities.

How Veterans Develop Service-Connected Scars and Burns

Veterans develop scars and burn injuries through various service-related pathways:

Blast Injuries: Veterans exposed to IEDs, grenades, or other explosive devices during combat sustained traumatic injuries causing severe lacerations, abrasions, and burns affecting the veteran. Blast injuries frequently caused disfiguring scars in veterans.

Burn Injuries: Combat veterans, mechanics working on vehicles, and personnel near fires sustained thermal burns during military service. Severe burns often result in scarring and contractures affecting the veteran’s function and appearance.

Vehicle Accidents: Military vehicle accidents, Humvee rollovers, and aircraft accidents caused traumatic injuries resulting in lacerations and burns in veterans. These accidents caused severe scarring affecting the veteran.

Gunshot and Shrapnel Wounds: Combat gunshot wounds and shrapnel injuries caused lacerations and tissue damage resulting in significant scarring in veterans. The veteran’s wounds required emergency medical treatment and left permanent scars.

Chemical Burns: Veterans exposed to hazardous chemicals during military service sometimes sustained chemical burns affecting the veteran. These chemical injuries cause severe scarring in veterans.

Fire-Related Injuries: Veterans in burning buildings or near uncontrolled fires sustained thermal injuries causing burns and scarring affecting the veteran. Military base fires and combat-related fires injured veterans.

Types of Scars and Burns Affecting Veterans

Veterans experience various types of scars and burn injuries qualifying for disability benefits:

Severe Scarring: Extensive scars from combat injuries, accidents, or burns cover significant portions of the veteran’s body. Severe scarring in veterans causes functional limitation and cosmetic concern affecting the veteran.

Thermal Burns: First, second, and third-degree burns from fire or heat cause tissue damage and scarring in veterans. Severe thermal burns in veterans result in contractures limiting the veteran’s function and appearance.

Chemical Burns: Chemical exposure causes chemical burns in veterans resulting in scarring and tissue damage. Chemical burns in veterans may cause ongoing sensitivity and pain affecting the veteran.

Blast Injuries: Blast trauma causes lacerations, abrasions, and tissue damage resulting in scarring in veterans. Complex scarring from blast injuries in veterans affects both function and appearance.

Hypertrophic and Keloid Scars: Some veterans develop excessive scar tissue (hypertrophic or keloid scars) from their wounds. These abnormal scars in veterans cause functional and cosmetic concerns affecting the veteran.

Contractures: Severe scarring in veterans causes contractures—tightening of scarred tissue limiting the veteran’s range of motion and function. Contractures in veterans significantly impair occupational and daily functioning.

Service Connection for Veterans with Scars and Burns

Veterans can establish service connection for scars and burn injuries through several pathways:

Direct Service Connection: Veterans can establish direct service connection by showing that scars or burns resulted from a specific incident during military service. A veteran burned in a combat incident or injured in a military vehicle accident can establish service connection for the veteran’s scars and burns.

Secondary Service Connection: Veterans sometimes develop secondary scarring from treatment of other service-connected conditions. For example, a veteran who required surgery for a combat wound develops surgical scars. These surgical scars in veterans may be rated as secondary to the original injury affecting the veteran.

Disability Ratings for Veterans with Scars and Burns

The VA rates scars and burns in veterans based on location, extent, and functional impact affecting the veteran. Scar and burn ratings in veterans range from 0% to 50%, though some extremely severe cases affecting function may receive higher ratings.

0-10% Rating for Veterans: Veterans at this level have scars or burns with minimal functional or cosmetic concern. The veteran may have minor scarring or small burn areas that don’t substantially affect the veteran’s function or appearance.

20% Rating for Veterans: Veterans receiving 20% for scars have moderate scarring affecting the veteran’s appearance or function. The scars cover noticeable areas of the veteran’s body or cause some functional limitation affecting the veteran.

30% Rating for Veterans: Veterans at this level have extensive scarring or burns significantly affecting the veteran’s appearance and function. The veteran’s scars cover substantial body areas and cause noticeable functional limitation affecting the veteran.

40% Rating for Veterans: Veterans with a 40% rating for scars have severe scarring causing significant functional impairment. The veteran’s scars substantially limit occupational capacity and the veteran has substantial cosmetic disfigurement affecting the veteran.

50% and Higher Ratings for Veterans: Veterans with extremely severe scars causing marked contractures or extensive disfigurement may receive ratings above 50%.

Filing for Scar and Burn Disability Benefits as a Veteran

To file for VA disability benefits for scars and burns, veterans submit VA Form 21-0960 (Application for Disability Compensation) indicating scars or burns as the claimed condition.

Veterans filing for scars and burns should include:

• Medical records documenting the veteran’s injury causing scars or burns
• Photos of the veteran’s scars showing extent and location
• Surgical records if the veteran underwent treatment for the veteran’s scars or burns
• Documentation of the veteran’s functional limitations from scars or contractures affecting the veteran
• A personal statement from the veteran describing the incident causing the veteran’s scars, how they affect the veteran’s appearance, and functional impact on the veteran
• Information about psychological impact of disfigurement on the veteran’s social and occupational functioning

Veterans should clearly explain how the veteran believes the veteran’s scars or burns are service-connected.

The Compensation and Pension Exam for Veterans with Scars and Burns

When veterans file for scar and burn disability, the VA typically schedules a Compensation and Pension exam. During the veteran’s exam, the VA examiner will:

• Visually examine the veteran’s scars or burns
• Document the location, size, and extent of scarring affecting the veteran
• Assess functional limitation caused by the veteran’s scars or contractures
• Measure range of motion if scars affect the veteran’s joints
• Review medical records documenting the veteran’s injury and treatment affecting the veteran
• Ask the veteran about psychological impact of disfigurement affecting the veteran

Veterans should prepare for the veteran’s exam by being prepared to show the veteran’s scars or burns openly, describing specifically how the veteran’s scars affect the veteran’s function and daily life, and discussing any emotional impact on the veteran.

Secondary Conditions in Veterans with Scars

Veterans should file claims for conditions secondary to their scars and burns:

Functional Limitation: Scars causing contractures or functional limitation in veterans may qualify for separate ratings based on the functional impairment affecting the veteran.

Depression and Anxiety: Many veterans develop depression and anxiety from disfigurement and psychological impact of visible scars affecting the veteran. Secondary mental health conditions in veterans from scar disfigurement qualify for separate ratings.

Sleep Disorders: Some veterans develop sleep problems from pain or psychological distress related to the veteran’s scars. Secondary sleep problems in veterans can receive separate disability ratings.

Social Dysfunction: Severe disfigurement may contribute to social withdrawal and occupational difficulty in the veteran. These secondary effects in veterans may support an Individual Unemployability filing affecting the veteran.

These secondary conditions increase the veteran’s combined disability rating, potentially significantly increasing the veteran’s total compensation.

Combining Scars with Other Veteran Disabilities

Many veterans have scars combined with other service-connected conditions. For example, a veteran might have a 40% rating for scars and a 50% rating for a service-connected injury, plus other disabilities affecting the veteran.

All conditions in veterans are combined using the VA’s combined rating formula to determine the veteran’s total disability rating. Use our disability calculator at https://vetvalor.com/va-disability-calculator-2026/ to understand exactly how your scar rating combines with your other service-connected conditions as a veteran. The calculator shows veterans their total combined rating and monthly compensation.

Rating Increases for Veterans with Worsening Scars

Veterans whose scars worsen or become more functional limiting should file for rating increases. Some veterans’ scars develop contractures or other complications over time affecting the veteran.

Veterans should file for rating increases when:

• The veteran’s scars develop contractures or functional limitation
• The veteran requires reconstructive surgery to improve function
• The veteran’s psychological distress from disfigurement increases
• The veteran’s scars cause increasing pain or functional impairment
• The veteran’s occupational capacity decreases due to the veteran’s scars

When filing for a rating increase, veterans should submit updated medical evidence showing the veteran’s worsened scar condition and current functional impact.

Use our disability calculator at https://vetvalor.com/va-disability-calculator-2026/ to see how a scar rating increase would affect your combined rating and total compensation as a veteran.

Understanding Your Scar and Burn Disability Compensation

A veteran’s scar and burn disability compensation depends on the veteran’s scar rating and any other service-connected conditions the veteran has. Use our disability calculator at https://vetvalor.com/va-disability-calculator-2026/ to determine:

• Your combined rating including scars and other disabilities
• Your monthly compensation based on your disability ratings
• How a scar rating increase would affect your total compensation
• How scars combine with other service-connected conditions affecting the veteran

The calculator helps veterans understand their total compensation when scars combine with other disabilities.

Treatment and Management for Veterans with Scars

Veterans with service-connected scars should establish regular care with VA healthcare providers or dermatologic and surgical specialists knowledgeable about scar treatment. The VA offers veterans:

• Evaluation of scars and assessment of functional limitation in the veteran
• Topical treatments to reduce appearance of scars in the veteran
• Injectible treatments or laser therapy for some veterans’ scars
• Surgical revision or reconstructive surgery for appropriate veterans
• Psychological counseling for veterans struggling with disfigurement affecting the veteran

Veterans should maintain regular VA care both for treatment and to create medical documentation supporting disability ratings and potential rating increase claims.

Occupational Considerations for Veterans with Scars

The VA recognizes that severe scarring and disfigurement can affect occupational capacity in veterans. Veterans whose disfigurement affects their ability to work in customer-facing positions or other occupations may need to change careers affecting the veteran.

Veterans with severe disfigurement limiting occupational capacity should consider filing for Individual Unemployability (IU). IU provides 100% disability compensation based on occupational inability rather than rating percentage alone.

Psychological Impact and Mental Health Support

The psychological impact of visible scars and disfigurement can be substantial for veterans. Many veterans experience depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and social withdrawal related to the veteran’s disfigurement. The VA recognizes these psychological effects and offers:

• Mental health counseling for veterans struggling with disfigurement affecting the veteran
• Support groups for veterans with visible injuries and scars
• Reconstructive surgery consultation to improve the veteran’s appearance
• Occupational counseling to help veterans adapt careers to the veteran’s disfigurement

Veterans should seek mental health support if struggling with the veteran’s scars and their psychological impact affecting the veteran.

Appealing Denied Scar and Burn Claims for Veterans

If the VA denies a veteran’s scar or burn claim, the veteran can appeal. Many veterans successfully overturn denials by:

• Submitting photographs documenting the veteran’s scars showing extent and location
• Obtaining detailed statements from healthcare providers supporting the veteran’s scar disability claim
• Working with a VA-accredited representative who understands scar and burn claims
• Providing detailed descriptions of functional limitation caused by the veteran’s scars
• Filing additional rating increase claims as the veteran’s scars worsen

Don’t accept a denied scar claim without appeal—many veterans successfully obtain scar and burn disability benefits through persistent appeals.

Conclusion

Scars and burn injuries are visible service-connected disabilities affecting many veterans, significantly impacting the veteran’s appearance, function, and psychological well-being. Veterans who sustained burns or severe traumatic injuries during military service deserve disability compensation. If you’re a veteran with visible scars or burn injuries, file a disability claim documenting your condition and how the veteran’s scars affect your function and appearance. Document any functional limitation from contractures or pain. File for secondary mental health conditions if the veteran’s disfigurement affects the veteran’s emotional well-being. Maintain regular VA care including both medical treatment and psychological support. Use our disability calculator at https://vetvalor.com/va-disability-calculator-2026/ to understand your combined rating and total compensation when scars combine with other veteran disabilities. As a veteran with service-connected scars and burn injuries, you deserve disability benefits recognizing your visible wounds and compensating you for the physical and psychological impact on your veteran life.