The Board denied service connection for residuals of punji stick wound and assigned initial disability ratings for PTSD, retained shrapnel and scar of the left upper eyelid, and scars of the right shoulder area. The veteran's PTSD is rated 50% before December 31, 2001, and 70% as of that date. The scars are not compensable.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish current chronic residuals from a punji stick wound or any other service-connected condition. The veteran's PTSD symptoms have remained stable with no new significant findings since December 31, 2001. The scars were deemed noncompensable as they do not cause functional impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of punji stick wound, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), retained shrapnel and scar of the left upper eyelid, scars of the right shoulder area, residuals of shell fragment wound
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 3, 2003
- Citation
- 0311304
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,467 · Granted: 18% (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 0311304.
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