The Board found that the veteran's residuals of a gunshot wound to the left forearm do not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent, as they do not involve moderate loss of deep fascia, muscle substance, or positive impairment when compared with the right forearm on tests of strength and endurance.
The deciding factor: The veteran's residuals did not demonstrate significant functional impairment that would warrant a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a gunshot wound to the left forearm
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- March 26, 2004
- Citation
- 0407987
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,435 · Granted: 22% (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 0407987.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a need for further development, including providing corrective notice and obtaining an opinion from a VA physician regarding whether any service-connected disability contributed to the Veteran's death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate notice provided to the appellant.
- Denied
The Board found that the cause of death, acute cardiac event leading to congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation, was not caused or contributed substantially by any service-connected conditions. The veteran's service-connected disabilities were deemed insufficient to have accelerated his death.
- Denied
The veteran's service-connected disabilities are rated at a combined 70 percent, but he is not entitled to TDIU benefits due to his age and nonservice-connected disabilities.
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.