The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant, and no service connection decision could be made.
The deciding factor: The appellant died during the pendency of the appeal, thus the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this claim.
- Claimed conditions
- patent foramen ovale
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2013
- Citation
- 1331609
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 1331609.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of service connection for patent foramen ovale due to an inadequate medical opinion.
- Partly granted
New and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for fibromyalgia, which is now granted. The claim for TIA remains denied as there is no current diagnosis of TIA. Service connection for patent foramen ovale is remanded.,The Veteran's petition to reopen her fibromyalgia claim was successful, and she is now entitled to service connection for this condition. However, the denial of service connection for TIA persists due to a lack of current evidence supporting the diagnosis. The issue of service connection for patent foramen ovale remains pending as it requires further examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination and unclear service connection determination for patent foramen ovale.
- Granted
The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities as of April 30, 2012.
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.