The veteran's left shoulder and neck disorders are found to be service-connected. The right knee laceration is rated at the highest allowable level, and a higher rating for the left hand injury from May 2, 2006 is granted. An effective date earlier than November 26, 2002 for the 10 percent disability rating of the left hand injury is also granted.
The deciding factor: The veteran's service records show injuries in service that are consistent with his current symptoms and diagnoses. The Board finds the evidence to be in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to service, granting service connection. The right knee laceration has been rated at its highest allowable level based on the severity of the disability. For the left hand injury, a higher rating is granted from May 2, 2006 due to additional impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder subacromial bursitis, neck disorder manifested by disc changes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 9, 2008
- Citation
- 0800912
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 0800912.
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 cervical spine degenerative arthritis of C3-4, left ear hearing loss, and left shoulder subacromial bursitis are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination findings and requests for a new evaluation of the Veteran's left shoulder disability.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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