Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant did not file a timely substantive appeal within 30 days of receiving the February 2020 statement of the case (SOC) denying additional attorney fees in connection with past due benefits awarded in a September 2018 rating decision.
The deciding factor: The appellant failed to submit a timely VA Form 9, which is required for filing an appeal within 30 days of receiving the SOC.
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20064792
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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
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.