The veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected residuals of a gunshot wound to the right hand was denied because he failed to report for a scheduled VA examination without good cause.
The deciding factor: The veteran failed to report for a scheduled VA examination, which is necessary to establish the severity of his current disorder and determine if a compensable disability rating can be established.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a gunshot wound to the right hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 21, 2002
- Citation
- 0216821
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 0216821.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal has been dismissed as the appellant withdrew it prior to a decision being made.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to June 2, 2002 for a 10 percent rating for service-connected residuals of a gunshot wound to the right hand with scar is dismissed as there was no appealable issue in his case.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating higher than 70 percent on an extra-schedular basis for his right hand disability was denied. The Board found that the residuals of a gunshot wound to the right hand are adequately contemplated by the applicable rating criteria and do not present an exceptional or unusual disability picture warranting an extra-schedular evaluation.
- Denied
The Veteran's death was not caused by any of his service-connected disabilities, and the Board denies service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.