The Veteran's claims for service connection of traumatic brain injury, bilateral Achilles tendonitis, and erectile dysfunction have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal request. The remaining issues were adjudicated and decisions were made on them.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew their appeal for the issues of traumatic brain injury, bilateral Achilles tendonitis, and erectile dysfunction prior to the promulgation of a decision in the appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic Brain Injury, Bilateral Achilles Tendonitis, Erectile Dysfunction, Degenerative Disc Disease and Osteoarthritis of the Lumbar Spine, Osteoarthritis of the Right Knee, Medial Meniscal Tear of the Left Knee, Epicondylitis with Spurring of the Left Elbow (based on limitation of flexion), Degenerative Joint Disease with Bursitis of the Left Shoulder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20003651
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,828 · Granted: 32% (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 20003651.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial ratings for anxiety disorder and TBI were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of service connection for erectile dysfunction due to insufficient medical evidence and a need for a VA examination.
- Granted
The Board granted entitlement to SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(t) effective January 21, 2019, based on the appellant's need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected TBI.
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.