The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for service connection and compensation awards, finding that no formal claim was filed within one year of his initial intent to file. The earliest effective date assigned is May 4, 2017.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not submit a completed VA Form 21-526EZ (formal application for benefits) within one year following the RO's March 21, 2016 notification letter. The claim was considered pending but not filed as of the date of the informal March 15, 2016 intent to file.
- Claimed conditions
- prostate cancer, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 11, 2020
- Citation
- 20011449
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 20011449.
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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