The Board denied service connection for residuals of a left shoulder injury and an increased rating for a shell fragment wound scar of the left knee. The veteran's shell fragment wound scar was found to be a residual of a shell fragment wound sustained in service, but his other claimed conditions were not related to military service.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the veteran did not have any injury or disease of the left shoulder or left shoulder joint in service other than a shell fragment wound posterior to the left deltoid. The current left shoulder disability was found unrelated to service and attributed to post-service injuries. The left knee scar was also found unrelated to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Residuals of left shoulder injury, Left knee scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 16, 2002
- Citation
- 0203448
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 0203448.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied increased ratings for left shoulder, right knee, and left knee replacement conditions. However, the Board granted a 10 percent rating for the left knee scar and a 30 percent rating for the lumbar spine degenerative joint disease.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for various disabilities and granted earlier effective dates for service connection of scars, but denied an earlier effective date for individual unemployability.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD and restless leg syndrome, denied service connection for a respiratory disorder other than sinusitis and rhinitis, and granted an initial rating of 70 percent for depressive disorder with alcohol use disorder effective August 18, 2022.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral plantar fasciitis but granted a 10 percent rating, but not greater, for right and left knee scars.
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