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Denied

The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's service-connected disabilities involving shell fragment wounds to his thighs and knees, finding that the current manifestations do not warrant a higher rating.

The deciding factor: The VA examinations showed no evidence of instability or other disabling conditions in the joints, with normal x-rays and range of motion findings. The veteran's symptoms were attributed to degenerative changes rather than service-connected injuries.

Claimed conditions
Residuals of shell fragment wound of the right foreleg, Residuals of shell fragment wound of the right knee with degenerative changes, Residuals of shell fragment wounds to the left foreleg, Residuals of shell fragment wounds to the left knee with degenerative changes, Residuals of shell fragment wounds to the left thigh, Residuals of shell fragment wounds to the right thigh
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
10%
Decision date
July 24, 2006
Citation
0621937

Veterans Law Judge

Gary L. Gick

Decisions by this judge: 1,175 · 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 0621937.

What this means for you

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