The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee gunshot wound residuals do not warrant an increased evaluation beyond the current 20 percent rating, as there is no evidence of severe impairment or recurrent subluxation/lateral instability. A separate evaluation for degenerative arthritis is also denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not show severe impairment or recurrent/subluxation/lateral instability in the left knee joint, which are required for a higher disability rating under DCs 5260 and 5261.
- Claimed conditions
- gunshot wound residuals
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 23, 2003
- Citation
- 0307724
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,514 · Granted: 19% (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 0307724.
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 denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings, finding that the evidence did not support a compensable disability rating or service connection for any of the claimed conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and gunshot wound residuals due to incomplete or missing service records, requiring a VA examination to determine their etiology.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal was denied for a higher rating for his service-connected left foot disability and bilateral hearing loss. The claims of service connection for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and TDIU were also remanded.,The Veteran's left foot disability was rated as moderately severe throughout the appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including revising a June 1970 rating decision on CUE, determining an earlier effective date for hypertension, addressing GSW residuals and TDIU, and evaluating nerve damage of the right arm. The appeals are pending due to procedural and evidentiary issues.
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.