The veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for service-connected diplopia was denied due to his failure, without good cause, to report for a VA examination which was necessary for an informed adjudication of the claim.
The deciding factor: The veteran failed to report for scheduled VA examinations and provided no adequate reason or good cause for his absence. As a result, there is insufficient evidence to evaluate the severity of his service-connected diplopia.
- Claimed conditions
- diplopia, skin disability (chloracne), seizure disorder, organic brain syndrome, stomach disability, residuals of a spine cord injury, central nervous disorder of the hands and feet, peripheral neuropathy, ulnar neuropathy, prostatitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 11, 2009
- Citation
- 0904992
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 cervicalgia, jaw disability, stomach disability, and drug abuse as the evidence did not support a finding of an in-service incurrence or aggravation of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for spinal stenosis, peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a bilateral foot disability to obtain further development, including adequate VA examinations and opinions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial 40 percent disability rating for bilateral eye disabilities but denied ratings for abdominal scars, hypertension, and remanded claims related to thrombosis and arthritis.
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