Scars - Burn — VA Disability Rating & Claim Guide
This is not legal or medical advice. Always consult with a VSO or accredited claims agent.
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The DBQ for Scars - Burn
Your C&P examiner fills out DBQ 21-0960F-1 (Scars/Disfigurement) — the form that decides your rating. You can have your own doctor complete the same DBQ and submit it as evidence.
Have a C&P exam coming up? See exactly what the examiner will ask about Scars - Burn — and how to describe it.
Prep →2026 Compensation Rates
Monthly compensation for Scars - Burn, based on your overall combined VA disability rating.
| Rating | Monthly (Alone) | Monthly (w/ Spouse) | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | — | $2,165.04 |
| 20% | $356.66 | — | $4,279.92 |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 | $6,629.64 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 | $9,550.08 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 | $13,594.80 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,566.02 | $17,220.24 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,961.45 | $21,701.40 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,277.15 | $25,225.80 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,559.30 | $28,347.60 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,158.17 | $47,262.96 |
Common Symptoms
Document these symptoms in your claim. The more thoroughly you describe how they affect your daily life, the stronger your claim.
Functional Limitations
VA rates disabilities based on how they limit your ability to function. Describe these limitations in your personal statement.
Rating Criteria for Scars - Burn
Rating schedule under 38 CFR 4.118, DC 7800/7801/7802/7804/7805 (scars). Burn scars are rated on area, characteristics of disfigurement, and whether they are painful or unstable.. Criteria are simplified summaries; your specific rating depends on severity documented in your C&P exam.
One or two scars that are painful or unstable (DC 7804); or a deep scar (with underlying soft tissue damage, not head/face/neck) covering at least 6 but less than 12 square inches (DC 7801); or a head/face/neck scar with one characteristic of disfigurement (DC 7800); or a superficial scar not of the head/face/neck covering 144 square inches or more (DC 7802).
Three or four scars that are painful or unstable (DC 7804); or a deep scar covering at least 12 but less than 72 square inches (DC 7801).
Five or more scars that are painful or unstable (DC 7804); or a deep scar covering at least 72 but less than 144 square inches (DC 7801); or a head/face/neck scar with two or three characteristics of disfigurement, or visible/palpable tissue loss with distortion of one feature (DC 7800).
A deep scar (with underlying soft tissue damage) covering 144 square inches (929 sq. cm.) or greater (DC 7801).
Head, face, or neck scar with four or five characteristics of disfigurement, or visible/palpable tissue loss with distortion of two features (DC 7800).
Head, face, or neck scar with six or more characteristics of disfigurement, or visible/palpable tissue loss with gross distortion of three or more features (DC 7800). Note: if scars are both unstable and painful, add 10 percent to the DC 7804 evaluation.
Verified against 38 CFR Part 4, the official VA rating schedule. Reviewed July 2026.
Will adding Scars - Burn raise your rating?
Enter your current combined rating and the level this condition would rate at. We'll do the VA math.
New combined
10%
New monthly
$180
Change
+$180
Rates shown are the 2026 veteran-alone amounts (no dependents). VA combines ratings with "whole-person" math and rounds to the nearest 10, so adding a condition does not simply add its percentage. Full combined-rating calculator with dependents →
Peer-Reviewed Medical Evidence
Real, verified studies from PubMed/NIH that support a Scars - Burn claim. Bring these citations to your accredited VSO or C&P exam — they help show your condition is recognized in the medical literature and, where noted, linked to other service-connected conditions.
Sexual Medicine Reviews, 2014 · PMID 27784591
Finding: Reviews the burden of serious combat-related injuries in OEF/OIF/OND service members, noting that the wars produced substantial numbers of veterans surviving with serious burns, often as part of polytrauma (e.g., amputation plus burns) and frequently co-occurring with PTSD, TBI, and depression.
Why it helps: Supports a direct association between modern combat/blast exposure and serious burn injuries in service members, and documents that burns commonly occur alongside other service-connected conditions in wounded veterans.
The Lancet, 2016 · PMID 27707499
Finding: Reports that up to 70% of burn patients develop hypertrophic scars after burns, with functional and psychosocial sequelae that decrease quality of life and delay reintegration into society.
Why it helps: Supports an association between burn injury and persistent hypertrophic scarring with lasting functional and psychosocial impairment, helping establish the residual disabling nature of a service-connected burn.
Burns, 2021 · PMID 33485727
Finding: In 44 patients with 115 affected joints, mean preoperative range of motion was only 37.3% of functional ROM, and disability-free survival was 55%; burn scar contractures substantially limited joint motion, disability (WHODAS 2.0), and quality of life (EQ-5D 0.69) before correction.
Why it helps: Supports an association between burn scars and measurable joint range-of-motion limitation, disability, and reduced quality of life, relevant to functional/painful scar and limitation-of-motion claims.
- Sex Differences, Age, and Burn Size Contribute to Risk of PTSD and Depression After Burn InjurySecondary
Journal of Burn Care & Research, 2024 · nexus to PTSD, depression · PMID 38794951
Finding: In 374 adult burn survivors, larger total body surface area burned was significantly associated with greater risk of PTSD and depression (P = .024 for TBSA), and risk scores significantly predicted PTSD and depression symptoms at 30 days post-injury (both P < .001).
Why it helps: Supports an association between burn injury severity and subsequent PTSD and depression, relevant to mental-health conditions claimed as secondary to a service-connected burn.
Burns, 2018 · nexus to neuropathic pain, pruritus · PMID 29422437
Finding: Describes post-burn pruritus as a form of neuropathic pain that is often chronic and refractory; among 23 patients with severe itch refractory to antihistamine and gabapentin, baseline itch severity (NRS) was 9.37 and remained a disabling chronic symptom.
Why it helps: Supports an association between burn scars and chronic pruritus/neuropathic-type symptoms, relevant when itch or scar-related nerve pain is claimed as a residual of a service-connected burn.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2023 · PMID 36504113
Finding: Confirms that hypertrophic scars and keloids result from an abnormal wound-healing process and may arise from burns as well as surgical incisions and accidental trauma, often producing difficult-to-treat lesions requiring prolonged or invasive therapy.
Why it helps: Supports an association between burn injury and the development of hypertrophic or keloid scarring, and documents the chronic, treatment-resistant nature of such scars relevant to ongoing disability.
Every citation is real and verified against PubMed. This is general information, not medical or legal advice — your accredited VSO or representative can advise on your specific claim.
Evidence Checklist
Gather these types of evidence before filing your claim. The strongest claims include multiple evidence types.
Common Treatments
Documenting ongoing treatment strengthens your claim and supports higher ratings.
Secondary Conditions Linked to Scars - Burn
These conditions are commonly claimed as secondary to Scars - Burn. A secondary condition can increase your overall combined rating and monthly compensation.
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Related Guides
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Draft your Scars - Burn personal statement
7-step wizard that builds your VA claim personal statement using your own words. Detects presumptive eligibility, cites 38 CFR + DBQ, includes federal-crime disclosure. You review and edit before filing.
Start draftingNot legal or medical advice. Always have a VSO or accredited rep review before filing.
Start Your Scars - Burn VA Claim
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Secondary Condition Claim Guides
Detailed guides on claiming each secondary condition linked to Scars - Burn.
Scars - Burn Claim Guide by State
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Educational content, not professional advice
This article is published by Military Transition Toolkit for educational and planning purposes. It is not legal, medical, or financial advice. VA rating criteria, benefits, and regulations change — verify anything benefits-affecting against VA.gov, 38 CFR Part 4, or a VA-accredited representative (VSO, agent, or attorney) before filing.
MTT is a veteran-owned planning tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, or any military branch.