The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of April 14, 1997 for a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The decision found that it was not factually ascertainable that impairment increased prior to this date.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show unemployability prior to the date of the veteran's claim for increase, which was deemed by the RO to be April 14, 1997.
- Claimed conditions
- McArdel's disease, postoperative residuals of a left wrist ganglion, residuals of a right nephrectomy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- February 9, 2006
- Citation
- 0603898
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,642 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0603898.
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 found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for residuals of right nephrectomy or a compensable rating for prostate calcification.
- Denied
The veteran's conditions do not render him permanently bedridden or so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance. He needs occasional assistance with activities of daily living, but is able to ambulate for distances greater than 100 feet with the use of a walker.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board is remanding the case for further development, including scheduling a videoconference hearing before the Board at the next available opportunity.
- Granted
The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and residuals of a right nephrectomy, finding that new evidence supports this claim. The issue will now be decided on its merits.
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