The VA determined that the veteran's residuals of a gunshot wound to the chest do not warrant an increased evaluation beyond the current 20 percent rating.
The deciding factor: The VA found no evidence supporting a higher disability rating based on objective medical findings and clinical evaluations.
- Claimed conditions
- gunshot wound to the chest
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- March 4, 2004
- Citation
- 0405907
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,055 · Granted: 31% (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 0405907.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for cause of death due to lack of evidence of a current disability or in-service incurrence.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected schizophrenia reaction, gunshot wound to the chest, and left ulna fracture render him in need of regular aid and attendance due to his condition. The Board granted Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him incapable of securing or following a substantially gainful occupation at all times during the pendency of the appeal.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for a rating increase for his gunshot wound was granted, but his pension benefits were denied due to his felony conviction. The Board found that the denial of pension benefits was not clear and unmistakable error.
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