The Veteran's surviving spouse is requesting an earlier effective date for a 60 percent rating for his service-connected Shell Fragment Wound (S.F.W.), left side posteriorly with myalgia, chronic, dorsolumbar mild left muscle group XX with lumbar spondylosis and degenerative disc disease. The VA has not obtained all of the Veteran's VA treatment records from prior to 1997, which may contain relevant information for this claim.
The deciding factor: The VA has failed to obtain all of the Veteran’s VA treatment records from prior to September 1997, which could potentially provide evidence supporting an earlier effective date for the rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Shell Fragment Wound (S.F.W.), left side posteriorly with myalgia, chronic, dorsolumbar mild left muscle group XX with lumbar spondylosis and degenerative disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- February 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20013774
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 20013774.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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