The Veteran's gunshot wound residuals, including muscle injury to Muscle Groups I and II, are rated at 30 percent. The scars of the neck and posterior chest are currently rated as 10 percent.
The deciding factor: The VA examination revealed moderate muscle injury (Muscle Groups I and II) with tenderness and pain in the gunshot wound scars, warranting a higher rating than the current 10 percent assigned for the scars.
- Claimed conditions
- gunshot wound of the neck, gunshot wound scars
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- October 1, 2009
- Citation
- 0937497
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 0937497.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's gunshot wound scars to the left calf, arm, and thigh are currently rated at 20% under DC 7804. The evidence does not show that these scars meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected conditions, and the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 were not met.
- Denied
The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for a 10 percent evaluation of gunshot wound scars, but the Board finds that no earlier date can be awarded due to the finality of the November 1985 rating decision and the lack of a valid claim prior to May 2012.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and gunshot wounds, render him unable to find and maintain substantially gainful employment.
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