The Veteran's attempts for earlier effective dates for service connection are denied as they lack legal merit.,Claims for earlier effective dates for left lower extremity scars, unspecified depressive disorder, muscle injury residuals from a gunshot wound to the right and left legs, and metatarsalgia in the right foot have been denied due to lack of prior claims.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's attempts for earlier effective dates are not legally valid as they were submitted after the final rating decisions.
- Claimed conditions
- Right lower extremity scars, Left lower extremity scars, Acquired psychiatric disorder (unspecified depressive disorder), Muscle injury residuals from a gunshot wound to the right leg, Muscle injury residuals from a gunshot wound to the left leg, Right foot metatarsalgia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 4, 2021
- Citation
- 21061456
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,200 · Granted: 43% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 21061456.
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: Denied
The Veteran's TDIU was based on multiple service-connected disabilities, and he does not meet the legal criteria for payment of compensation at the housebound rate under the regulations due to his service-connected conditions.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's headaches are rated at a maximum of 50 percent, and the acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded for further evaluation. The left heel spur claim is also remanded to determine if bilateral plantar fasciitis or other foot disorders are related to the service-connected condition.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted service connection for right foot metatarsalgia, while remanding the other claims for further development.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied entitlement to a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities.
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