Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Denied

The Board has denied a rating greater than 20 percent for the veteran's left foot disability and granted a 20 percent rating for his left ankle disability.

The deciding factor: The evidence did not support higher ratings based on the severity of the disabilities, as they were already at their maximum schedular evaluations.

Claimed conditions
residuals of shell fragment wound to the left foot and fracture of the left cuboid, Muscle Group X, with slight atrophy and scar, residuals of perforating shell fragment wound with limitation of motion of the left ankle
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
20%
Decision date
March 16, 2006
Citation
0607631

Veterans Law Judge

JOHN J. CROWLEY

Decisions by this judge: 3,319 · Granted: 25% (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 0607631.

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.

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.