The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. His right thigh disability is rated at 20 percent, while his left thigh disability remains noncompensable.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Codes 5315 or 4.71a, as the veteran's disabilities are classified as moderate and do not warrant an evaluation in excess of 20 percent.
- Claimed conditions
- shell fragment wound of the right thigh, shell fragment wound of the left thigh
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 20, 2006
- Citation
- 0617968
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,325 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0617968.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The veteran was granted a 20 percent rating for left knee instability prior to February 7, 2021, and restoration of a separate 10 percent rating for a shell fragment wound of the left thigh. Other issues were denied or remanded.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected residuals of a shell fragment wound to the right thigh are not rated higher than 10 percent prior to May 16, 2014.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded three issues: increased rating for shell fragment wound of the left thigh, service connection for a low back disorder, and service connection for bilateral radiculopathy of the lower extremities. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations for these issues.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted a rating of 30 percent for the Veteran's residuals of a shell fragment wound (SFW) of the right thigh, Muscle Group XIII. The issue of separate compensable ratings for scars of the right thigh and right calf prior to January 6, 2015 remains on appeal.
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