The Board has determined that the veteran's heart disability is not caused or worsened by his service-connected residuals of a gunshot wound to the chest. The right arm gunshots wounds are currently rated at 30 percent for shoulder impairment and 20 percent for elbow impairment.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence linking the veteran's current heart disability to his service-connected residuals of a gunshot wound to the chest, nor does there appear to be any aggravation of an existing nonservice-connected condition by his service-connected residuals. The right arm gunshots wounds are currently rated based on their functional impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart Disability, Right Arm Gunshot Wound Residuals
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 21, 2003
- Citation
- 0320950
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 0320950.
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 heart disability has been rated at 100% from September 12, 2022 to August 18, 2023. He is also eligible for special monthly compensation and Dependents' Educational Assistance during this period.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's heart disability is currently rated at 60 percent from February 24, 2023.,The effective date for the grant of TDIU was set to February 24, 2023.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity is denied as there was no prior formal or informal claim submitted before July 2, 2016.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to a duty to assist error that occurred prior to the rating decision on appeal. The Board requests retrospective findings from an appropriate clinician to determine the severity of the Veteran's service-connected heart disability.
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