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 assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 24, 2025
- Citation
- A25037619
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disorder, including bicipital tendon tear, rotator cuff tear, and tendinosis, as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or chronicity of symptoms to support a direct link between the current condition and active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the appeal to the agency of original jurisdiction for a medical opinion on the nature and etiology of any right shoulder disorder.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 40 percent for the Veteran's right shoulder disability, which is the maximum schedular rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability to obtain a medical opinion regarding whether it is related to his service-connected left shoulder disability.
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