The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than September 11, 2000, for the award of service connection for right rectus abdominis muscle atrophy (also claimed as an abdominal muscle injury) was denied. The earliest possible effective date is September 11, 2000.
The deciding factor: The claim for an earlier effective date was not supported by evidence showing a prior intent to file a claim or the existence of a pending claim before September 11, 2000.
- Claimed conditions
- right rectus abdominis muscle atrophy, abdominal muscle injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 4, 2020
- Citation
- 20038349
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20038349.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a disagreement with the effective date of service connection for right rectus abdominis muscle atrophy. The parties agreed that the Board did not address whether the Veteran's reports of 'burning sensation in abdomen' could be understood as seeking benefits for an abdominal muscle injury, and if so, whether a claim for service connection for duodenal ulcer also encompassed a claim for service connection for an abdominal muscle injury.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's lung adenocarcinoma is considered a residual of an in-service inhalation injury, meeting the criteria for a special home adaptation grant.
- Whole decision: Granted
The veteran's abdominal scar was granted an effective date of December 30, 1999. The veteran also received a 10 percent evaluation for his postoperative residual abdominal scar as of July 3, 2000, and the RO increased this to January 13, 2003.
- Whole decision: 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.
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