The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected injury to Muscle Group XV from gunshot wound warrants a 40 percent rating, and his service-connected traumatic arthritis of the left knee warrants a rating in excess of 10 percent.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations revealed severe muscle disability due to retained shrapnel and loss of deep fascia and muscle substance, warranting a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5314 for Muscle Group XIV.
- Claimed conditions
- injury to Muscle Group XV from gunshot wound, traumatic arthritis of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- July 11, 2005
- Citation
- 0518759
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 0518759.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for traumatic arthritis of the left knee and plantar fasciitis of the right foot prior to January 2, 2024, are being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. The claim for TDIU is also being remanded as it was not raised by the Veteran prior to the September 2021 rating decision on appeal.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including postoperative residuals of a left knee injury, traumatic arthritis of the left knee, and degenerative joint disease of the right knee, were found to be contributory causes of his death. As such, service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right and left knee disabilities due to new evidence received since the last decision.
- Denied
The Veteran's cause of death was not due to service-connected disabilities, and the VA-prescribed medications did not result in an additional disability or death. The Board found that the medications prescribed for his service-connected conditions were not causally related to his death.
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