The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his low back and right shoulder disabilities due to his failure to appear for scheduled VA examinations without good cause.
The deciding factor: The claim was denied as a matter of law under 38 C.F.R. § 3.655(b) because the Veteran failed to attend required VA examinations without showing good cause.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar strain (low back disability), right shoulder superior labral tear, rotator cuff tear, impingement status post right shoulder arthroplasty (right shoulder disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 24, 2025
- Citation
- A25037619
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 3,217 · Granted: 46% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25037619.
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.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's low back disability is granted a rating of 40 percent effective August 31, 2018. The right shoulder disability is granted a rating of 40 percent effective August 31, 2018.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar strain, right knee patellofemoral arthritis, and left knee patellofemoral arthritis due to procedural errors in obtaining information about the qualifications of a VA examiner and inadequate medical opinions.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board denied an initial rating more than 20 percent for the Veteran's low back disability and granted a 20 percent rating, but no higher, for left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve).
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right knee strain, left knee strain, low back disability, neck disability, left elbow disability manifesting as pain and numbness, and right elbow disability manifesting as pain and numbness. The claims are based on the Veteran's reported symptoms in service and their persistence since separation.
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