The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for various disabilities, finding that new evidence did not meet the criteria for reopening a claim of heart disability and denying other claims due to lack of cooperation with VA examinations.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that no new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for heart disability. The veteran's failure to cooperate with VA examinations prevented sufficient information from being gathered to make an informed decision on his other claims.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disability, respiratory disability, arthritis of the left shoulder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 3, 2002
- Citation
- 0217410
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 0217410.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a respiratory disability and a lumbar spine disability due to inadequate medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an initial rating higher than 30 percent for the service-connected heart disability to correct an error by the AOJ in not informing the Veteran of his right to a pre-decisional hearing.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a heart disability as the evidence did not support that it began during active service or was related to an in-service injury.
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