The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for residuals of a shell fragment wound of the left shoulder and a scar from that injury, finding no evidence to support higher ratings under VA rating criteria.
The deciding factor: The veteran's disability was rated based on muscle injuries and scars, with no indication of service connection through a presumption or reopening due to new evidence. The current ratings are found to be appropriate given the clinical findings and diagnostic codes applied.
- Claimed conditions
- shell fragment wound of the left shoulder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- September 18, 2000
- Citation
- 0024770
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0024770.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's left shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as his range of motion does not meet criteria for an increased rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for a shell fragment wound of the left shoulder is being remanded due to incomplete development and consideration.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the veteran's residuals of a shell fragment wound to the left shoulder, including two or three unremarkable scars in the left shoulder area, were incurred during military service and grants service connection for this condition.
- Denied
The June 1966 decision assigned a 20 percent rating for residuals of a shell fragment wound of the left shoulder, which was upheld as not clearly and unmistakably erroneous.
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