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Whole decision: Denied

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for his service-connected left Achilles tendon rupture status post repair and lumbar back strain, finding that there were no documents indicating an intent to file a claim prior to January 16, 2013.

The deciding factor: There was no indication of new and material evidence or an informal claim filed by the Veteran prior to January 16, 2013 for his service-connected conditions.

Claimed conditions
Left Achilles tendon rupture status post repair, Lumbar back strain
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
November 17, 2021
Citation
21069070

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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 21069070.

What this means for you

A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.

What you can do next

Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).

Related decisions

Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.

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