The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cold injury residuals of the hands and feet were denied as a matter of law due to his failure to report for scheduled VA examinations.
The deciding factor: The Veteran failed to report for scheduled VA examinations without showing good cause, resulting in denial of the claims as a matter of law.
- Claimed conditions
- cold injury residuals of right hand, cold injury residuals of left hand, cold injury residuals of right foot, cold injury residuals of left foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 14, 2012
- Citation
- 1220759
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 1220759.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings in excess of 30 percent for cold injury residuals of each hand is remanded due to the failure to issue a Statement of the Case (SOC) addressing these claims. The RO must also address any new claims for service connection and increased ratings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran is seeking a TDIU based on his service-connected cold injury residuals of the feet and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, but he does not meet the schedular criteria for a total disability rating under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a). The Board has referred the case to the Director, Compensation Service, for consideration of an extra-schedular TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b) due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected cold injury residuals of both feet contributed to his death from arteriosclerotic heart disease. The claim is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional development is necessary prior to appellate review, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination for the veteran's cold injury residuals. The claims for higher initial ratings for cold injury residuals of both feet, secondary service connection for depression, and a 10 percent rating based upon multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities are remanded.
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