The veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left hand disability was denied, as the RO used the tender and painful scar from the gunshot wound (GSW) in service as the sole basis for rating this disability. The issue of service connection for loss of function due to the GSW is not before the Board.
The deciding factor: The VA Regional Office (RO) used only the scar from the GSW as the basis for the initial rating, without considering other symptoms and functional impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a gunshot wound of the left hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 29, 2001
- Citation
- 0121818
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0121818.
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 Board found that the Veteran's service-connected left hand wound residuals are currently rated as 10 percent disabling under diagnostic code 5309 for Muscle Group IX, the intrinsic muscles of the hand. The current rating is the highest possible under this code and does not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on limitation of motion.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disorder was previously denied. The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim. The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, but not higher due to occupational and social impairment. Ratings for residuals of gunshot wounds are also denied.
- Granted
The veteran's service connection claim for residuals of a gunshot wound to the left hand is granted as his current condition can be linked to an in-service injury.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.