The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's residuals of a shell fragment wound (SFW) of the right arm with Muscle Group V involvement, currently rated at 30 percent. The claim for a compensable rating for otitis media was also denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on the severity of the veteran's residuals of a shell fragment wound (SFW) of the right arm with Muscle Group V involvement, and there was no active or productive otitis media to warrant a compensable rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Otitis media, Residuals of a shell fragment wound (SFW) of the right arm with Muscle Group V involvement
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 12, 2003
- Citation
- 0304511
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 685 · Granted: 36% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0304511.
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 otitis media, left ear was granted a 10 percent rating. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was denied any increase in rating.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for peripheral nervous system pain, to include rheumatoid arthritis, and granted an effective date of October 6, 2014, for the grant of service connection for left calf and left thumb scars. The remaining claims were denied.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder and otitis media to the agency of original jurisdiction for further development, including obtaining relevant private medical records.
- Whole decision: Granted
Service connection is granted for urinary incontinence as secondary to service-connected lumbar spine degenerative arthritis.,Service connection is granted for chronic fatigue syndrome as secondary to service-connected COPD with obstructive sleep apnea.,The Veteran's pleuritic chest pain claim remains pending and requires further examination and opinion.,The heart condition claim, including coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease, is remanded due to the inextricably intertwined nature of the issues. A new opinion is needed regarding whether the heart condition is directly related to service.,Gastrointestinal disorder (including gastric ulcers and gastroenteritis but excluding IBS and GERD) claim remains pending and requires further examination and opinion.
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