The veteran's appeal to have an earlier effective date for his 50% evaluation of the right hand gunshot wound residuals was denied because it was not filed within one year of the September 19, 1997 notification and more than 60 days after the July 22, 1998 statement of the case.
The deciding factor: The veteran's appeal was not timely filed as per VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- gunshot wound of the right hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 26, 2001
- Citation
- 0108748
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 0108748.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board grants entitlement to a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU).
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's right hand disability is currently rated at 20 percent, the maximum rating available under Diagnostic Code 5308. The Board finds that his condition does not warrant a higher rating as it does not meet the criteria for more severe muscle disabilities.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for a higher rating for residuals of a gunshot wound to the right hand. The current noncompensable rating assigned for limitation of motion in the right fifth finger is considered appropriate. However, ankylosis of the right long finger due to a gunshot wound was granted with a separate 10 percent rating.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death in May 1982, concluding that there was no evidence showing a causal relationship between his service-connected conditions and his death.
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