The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for various service-connected conditions as a matter of law due to his failure to report for scheduled VA examinations.
The deciding factor: The Veteran failed to report to necessary VA examinations, and there was no good cause provided for this failure, leading to the denial of all claims for increased ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- scars, left eyebrow and inner upper lip, left knee degenerative joint disease (DJD) with instability, left knee DJD with limitation of extension, cervical spine degenerative changes, left shoulder and acromioclavicular joint degenerative changes (non-dominant), radiculopathy of left upper extremity, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2020
- Citation
- 20063930
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Partly granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted, while fibromyalgia, internal or external hemorrhoids, bilateral hearing loss, and neuropathy are denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding it at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's in-service noise exposure.
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