The Veteran's appeal for service connection for thoracolumbar spondylosis was dismissed due to his death.
The deciding factor: The Veteran died before the hearing scheduled by the Board, and thus the appeal is moot as there are no living parties involved.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracolumbar spondylosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 18, 2019
- Citation
- A19001366
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 A19001366.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, periodic leg movement disorder, and a higher rating for thoracolumbar spondylosis.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected thoracolumbar spondylosis has rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment from July 19, 2013, to October 16, 2020.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the ratings and service connection claims related to thoracolumbar spondylosis, hypertension, and radiculopathy left lower extremity sciatic nerve.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there was not substantial compliance with its December 2022 remand directives and thus the claims for thoracolumbar spondylosis, onychomycosis (claimed as toe fungus), xeroderma of the bilateral feet, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), hypertension, and migraines are being returned to the RO for further development.
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.