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Dismissed

The veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased (compensable) rating for the service-connected residuals of multiple shrapnel fragment wounds of the right upper extremity, and the claims for earlier effective dates were denied as no earlier claim was filed.

The deciding factor: The veteran's withdrawal of the appeal for the increased rating for the right upper extremity, combined with the lack of any prior claims or communications indicating an intent to apply for benefits related to tinnitus, left bicep scar, or increased ratings for SFWs, led to the denial of earlier effective dates.

Claimed conditions
Residuals of multiple shrapnel/shell fragment wounds (SFWs) of the right upper extremity, Tinnitus, Painful scar associated with the service-connected residuals of an SFW of the left bicep area, Service-connected residuals of multiple SFW's of the left upper extremity
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
May 6, 2008
Citation
0814884

Veterans Law Judge

JAMES L. MARCH

Decisions by this judge: 2,776 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0814884.

What this means for you

A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.

What you can do next

Related decisions

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