The Veteran's appeal for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine with intervertebral disc syndrome was dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.
The deciding factor: The Veteran died during the pendency of the appeal, thus the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal at this time.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative arthritis of the spine with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 2, 2020
- Citation
- 20000221
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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 claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) to obtain the Veteran's Service Dental Records.
- Denied
The Board denied all claims for increased disability ratings and special monthly compensation.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew all issues appealed on the VA Form 9 substantive appeals submitted by the Veteran as characterized on the cover page of this decision.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.