The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for an effective date prior to August 17, 2022, for his service connection awards due to lack of a formal or informal claim before that date. For the right groin scar, the Veteran's rating remains at 10 percent as there is no evidence of instability or pain.
The deciding factor: The effective dates were not established prior to August 17, 2022, because the Veteran did not file a formal or informal claim for service connection before that date. For the right groin scar, the rating remains at 10 percent as there is no evidence of instability or pain.
- Claimed conditions
- Limited left hip flexion, Limited left hip extension, Limited left hip adduction, Bilateral hand onychomycosis, Right groin scar
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 20, 2026
- Citation
- A26004745
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 A26004745.
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: Partly granted
The Board denied an increased rating for allergic rhinitis and remanded the claims for cervical spine, hip, thigh, and hip extension disorders for further development.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board of Veterans' Appeals remands the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a recurrent sleep disability to include obstructive sleep apnea, and ratings for atrial fibrillation and a right groin scar due to unverified periods of active duty with the Florida Air National Guard.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented her from securing or following substantially gainful employment since March 31, 2019. The claims for increased ratings were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's attorney has withdrawn the appeal for four issues involving limited hip flexion and extension, resulting in the dismissal of these cases.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.