The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection due to lack of legal basis, as the appeal period following the SOC expired and the decision became final.
The deciding factor: The appeal period following the SOC expired and the decision became final, thus there is no legal basis to award an earlier effective date prior to July 2013 claim to reopen.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery disease/left heart catheterization, chest scar, right lower extremity vein harvest scars, left lower extremity vein harvest scars
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 26, 2023
- Citation
- 23024227
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 23024227.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's chest scar, which resulted from a burn injury during her INACDUTRA period in November 2020, is service-connected.
- Granted
The Board found that the appellant is eligible to receive fees from past due benefits awarded in the portion of the June 2024 rating decision granting higher ratings for bilateral upper and lower extremity diabetic neuropathy. The appeal was denied regarding eligibility for fees related to a chest scar rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for TDIU, special monthly compensation based on housebound criteria, and Dependents' Educational Assistance prior to June 9, 2023, as these issues are inextricably intertwined with the TDIU claim.
- Granted
The Veteran's VA treatment records show that he required regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, including chronic valley fever fungus residuals, PTSD with associated mood/affective disorder, sleep apnea, and multiple peripheral neuropathies. The Board granted the claim for an earlier effective date of April 11, 2023, for the award of SMC based on aid and attendance.
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