The veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and compensable evaluations were denied due to his failure to report for scheduled VA examinations.
The deciding factor: The veteran failed to attend the scheduled VA examinations without providing good cause.
- Claimed conditions
- left arm and hand disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 4, 2003
- Citation
- 0303660
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,480 · Granted: 26% (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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0303660.
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: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death prior to the Board's decision.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has ordered a supplemental opinion from the VA examiner regarding whether the Veteran's left arm and hand disability is chronically aggravated by his service-connected right shoulder and elbow conditions. The case will be remanded for this purpose.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable evaluation for his left fifth finger flexion contracture and for disability compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for his left arm and hand disability due to VA medical treatment in April 1995.
- 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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