The Board has determined that higher ratings for the Veteran's service-connected disabilities are not warranted as a matter of law due to the application of the 'amputation rule.' The claims must be denied.
The deciding factor: Higher ratings for the right lower leg disabilities and the left knee disability would impermissibly increase his combined disability evaluation under the law, which already exceeds the maximum allowed by regulation.
- Claimed conditions
- gunshot wound of the left hand with combined ulnar and median nerve palsy, gunshot wound of the left hand with intrinsic muscle weakness and loss of motion of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th fingers, degenerative joint disease of the right knee due to gunshot wound, chronic ligamentous strain of the left knee, scar of the left hand due to gunshot wound
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 2, 2012
- Citation
- 1234204
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 1234204.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the Veteran's service-connected conditions, finding that the claims were not valid as they did not challenge the original effective dates assigned in 2003.
- 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.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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