The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for hypertension and granted a 50 percent disability rating for his generalized anxiety disorder. The decision also found that payment of $16,027.97 in attorney fees to the Contesting Claimant was not valid due to improper signatures on the VA Form 21-22a.
The deciding factor: The February 2015 VA Form 21-22a and fee agreement were signed by the Veteran's son, who acted as a general power of attorney. The regulations require that the form be signed by the claimant or their authorized representative, which was not met in this case.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, anxiety disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- February 22, 2017
- Citation
- 1705326
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 1705326.
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 Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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