The appeal for service connection for photodermatitis, an increased rating for SMC on account of loss of use of a creative organ, and a rating in excess of 10 percent from November 30, 2009 to January 29, 2010, and 20 percent from January 29, 2010 forward for carpal tunnel syndrome and neuropathy of the right upper extremity is dismissed.,The appeal for an effective date prior to October 27, 2005 for hypertension is dismissed. The Veteran's claim was denied in December 2002 but reopened in October 2006 with a grant of service connection effective October 27, 2005.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the claims were properly dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal for these issues.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety disorder), bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, cataracts
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 28, 2019
- Citation
- 19166731
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,948 · Granted: 29% (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 19166731.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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 has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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