The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a gunshot wound to the left side of his neck, finding that there was no evidence of such an injury in service and no current disability. The VA examiner noted a metallic foreign body in the Veteran's neck but did not confirm its origin.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's assertions about sustaining a gunshot wound during service were unsupported by the medical records, which showed no indication of such an injury or defect.
- Claimed conditions
- gunshot wound, left side of neck
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 16, 2019
- Citation
- A19003594
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 A19003594.
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.
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- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 20, 2023 for a 70 percent rating for service-connected PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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