Your appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The Board has no jurisdiction to proceed with these claims as they are now moot.
The deciding factor: The appellant passed away during the pendency of the appeal, and therefore the Board lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of the appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- back condition, muscle condition, chest condition, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), depression
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20003987
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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 an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and pernicious anemia, and the Board dismissed both appeals.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as the appellant does not have a documented history of recurrent or refractory esophageal stricture(s).
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for an initial compensable disability rating for right inguinal hernia surgery and service connection for a low back disability, as well as remanded the claims for service connection for GERD and entitlement to an increased rating for hypertension.
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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.