The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected residuals of a shrapnel wound of the left pleural cavity with retained foreign bodies, as his disability is currently rated at 20 percent and does not warrant a higher evaluation.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not demonstrate that the veteran had a severe muscle injury or respiratory impairment associated with his service-connected residuals of a shrapnel wound of the left pleural cavity with retained foreign bodies, thus preventing him from receiving a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- shrapnel wound of the left pleural cavity with retained foreign bodies
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- March 10, 2003
- Citation
- 0304289
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,710 · Granted: 15% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0304289.
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Related decisions
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- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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