The Board has dismissed all claims due to the Veteran's death, including those for a compensable rating for an unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder, an effective date prior to March 7, 2018 for service connection of this condition, a higher rating for coronary artery disease with coronary artery bypass graft and atrioventricular block (ischemic heart disease), and service connection for bladder cancer.
The deciding factor: The Veteran passed away during the pendency of the appeal, making it impossible to adjudicate the merits of the claims due to their death.
- Claimed conditions
- unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder, coronary artery disease with coronary artery bypass graft and atrioventricular block (ischemic heart disease), bladder cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2020
- Citation
- 20071799
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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 bladder cancer, finding it to be related to the Veteran's in-service herbicide exposure.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of December 12, 2023, for a 50 percent evaluation of bipolar disorder and remanded the other issues for further development.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, bladder cancer, due to in-service exposure to ionizing radiation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection of bladder cancer to obtain an adequate VA TERA opinion and provide a clarifying opinion on the relationship between exposure to fuel or CARC and bladder cancer.
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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.