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Denied

The Veteran's shrapnel wound to the left calf resulted in moderately severe disability, but did not meet the criteria for a rating higher than 20 percent.

The deciding factor: The VA examination findings showed that the Veteran had muscle weakness and atrophy due to his service-connected injury, which was rated as moderately severe. However, the degree of impairment did not warrant an increased rating beyond 20 percent.

Claimed conditions
shrapnel wound of the left calf area
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
20%
Decision date
July 29, 2009
Citation
0928315

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 0928315.

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