The Board denied the veteran's claims for entitlement to separate ratings for left shoulder scars and chest scars, as well as an effective date prior to July 10, 1995 for the grant of service connection for a gunshot wound injury to Muscle Group XXII. The effective date for the grant of a 10 percent rating for neck scars was set at August 17, 1995.
The deciding factor: The Board found that entitlement to an increased rating for neck scars arose on August 17, 1995 and thus determined that the earliest effective date available is August 17, 1995. The claims for separate ratings for left shoulder scars and chest scars were denied as there was no evidence of a service-connected condition prior to this date. The claim for an effective date prior to July 10, 1995 for the grant of service connection for a gunshot wound injury to Muscle Group XXII was also denied.
- Claimed conditions
- neck scars, left shoulder scars, chest scars
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 19, 2004
- Citation
- 0419484
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 0419484.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for chest scars, finding no evidence linking the current scars to service. The Veteran's lay statements about onset and causation were not credible.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for chest scars, finding no evidence linking the current scars to service. The Veteran's lay statements about onset and causation were not credible.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for chest scars, finding no evidence linking the current scars to service. The Veteran's lay statements about onset and causation were not credible.
- Granted
The Board has granted eligibility to attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in a March 12, 2025 rating decision. The appellant's supplemental claim and request for TDIU constituted continuous pursuit of the initial rating decisions.
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