The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for tinea pedis and onychomycosis, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis due to his failure to report for scheduled VA examinations without good cause.
The deciding factor: The claims were denied because the Veteran failed to report for scheduled VA examinations without good cause, as required by 38 C.F.R. § 3.655(b).
- Claimed conditions
- tinea pedis and onychomycosis (TPO), left lower extremity (LLE) radiculopathy, right lower extremity (RLE) radiculopathy, lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis (LSDA)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 21, 2025
- Citation
- A25026490
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as special monthly compensation and total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied restoration of the 20 percent ratings for cervical spine strain, thoracolumbar strain, and right lower extremity radiculopathy due to improvement in the disabilities under ordinary conditions of life and work.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the claims for earlier effective dates for entitlement to service connection for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with tendinitis, lumbar spondylolisthesis and spondylosis, left lower extremity (LLE) radiculopathy, and allergic rhinitis.
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