The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection of ischemic cardiomyopathy is dismissed due to the death of the Veteran. The Board has no jurisdiction over this matter as it must be referred to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) for further action.
The deciding factor: The Veteran died during the pendency of his appeal, and the appeal cannot proceed without a timely substitution request from the surviving spouse.
- Claimed conditions
- ischemic cardiomyopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19194567
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 19194567.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, attributing it to active military service and exposure to toxins.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, attributing his systolic heart failure, ischemic cardiomyopathy, and coronary artery disease to active military service, including exposure to toxins.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for hypertension and the cause of death, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the appellant.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic cardiomyopathy, diabetes type II, and left lower extremity PAD are remanded. The Board needs more information about the Veteran's exposures during service.
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