The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not provide good cause for failing to attend a VA examination, which was necessary to determine the severity of his cervical spine, allergic rhinitis, left and right lateral epicondylitis, and right ankle sprain conditions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran failed to report for a scheduled VA examination without providing good cause, preventing the Board from considering evidence that may have supported higher ratings or service connection claims.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical spine multilevel spondylosis, degenerative arthritis, allergic rhinitis, left lateral epicondylitis, right lateral epicondylitis, right ankle sprain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 13, 2026
- Citation
- A26033930
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 A26033930.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for asthma and a 10 percent rating based on multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities were dismissed. The claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for eczema was denied, while the claim of entitlement to allergic rhinitis was not addressed as it pertained to different issues.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's rating for his right elbow condition from 10 percent to 20 percent effective May 5, 2025, finding that the evidence was in equipoise regarding whether there had been improvement in the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work.
- Granted
The Board has granted earlier effective dates of January 13, 2020 for the service connection of low back disability and related radiculopathy issues. The Veteran's claims were reopened due to new evidence submitted in January 2020.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right ankle disability, finding that it had its onset during service and is related to service. The decision was made after considering both lay and medical evidence.
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