The Board granted service connection for residuals of shell fragment wounds to the right hand, but denied service connection for a shell fragment wound to the right cheek. The veteran was assigned a 10% evaluation for his right hand condition.
The deciding factor: The VA medical evidence did not show any residual shell fragment wound scar on the right cheek, and the Board found no residuals of such an injury in service.
- Claimed conditions
- shell fragment wound to the right cheek, shell fragment wound of the right hand
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- May 8, 2003
- Citation
- 0308753
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,177 · Granted: 24% (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 0308753.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has ordered a remand for the Veteran to be scheduled for a VA examination to determine the current level of severity of his service-connected right hand disability. The claim is being returned to the RO/AMC for further development and adjudication.
- Granted
The Veteran's shell fragment wound of the right hand is currently rated at 30 percent prior to July 24, 2012 and at 20 percent since then. The degenerative arthritis of the right hand is rated at 10 percent effective July 24, 2012.,Compensable ratings are not warranted for scars associated with the shell fragment wounds of the right and left wrists.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for shell fragment wounds of the right hand, chin, and right leg. The veteran's intervertebral disc syndrome is rated at 40 percent.
- Granted
The Board has granted an initial disability rating of 20 percent for posttraumatic arthritic changes to the right hand and wrist secondary to residuals of a shell fragment wound of the right hand, Muscle Group VIII.
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