The Board granted an effective date of December 30, 1998, for the award of service connection for injuries to muscle groups V, VII, and XV but denied initial compensable ratings for these disabilities. The appeal was dismissed for other claims.
The deciding factor: The evidence supported finding that the Veteran's injury to muscle group XV resulted in a moderate disability, while the evidence did not support findings of worse than slight disability for injuries to muscle groups V and VII.
- Claimed conditions
- status post shrapnel injury to muscle group V, status post shrapnel injury to muscle group VII, status post shrapnel injury to muscle group XV, painful scars, left forearm and right lower lid, residual shrapnel removal between the right great toe and second toe, PTSD with TBI
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 9, 2025
- Citation
- A25042225
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for the lumbar spine disability, right and left lower extremity radiculopathy (femoral), posterior trunk scars, and painful scars. However, it granted a rating of 40 percent for the lumbar spine disability from August 30, 2022, an earlier effective date of April 10, 2019, for service connection for painful trunk scars, and an earlier effective date of November 9, 2020, for TDIU and DEA.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings for PTSD with TBI and posttraumatic headaches, resulting in the dismissal of these claims.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of November 20, 2012, and no earlier, for the grant of eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) under 38 USC chapter 35 but denied earlier effective dates for service connection claims and increased ratings.
- Granted
The Board granted the veteran's appeal and reinstated a 10 percent disability rating for painful scars effective July 22, 2022, due to improper reduction of the rating.
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