The appeals for increased ratings have been dismissed due to the appellant's death.
The deciding factor: The appellant died during the pendency of the appeal, making it impossible to adjudicate the merits of the claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic arthritis of the right knee, Arthritis of the lumbosacral spine, Total left knee replacement with repair of ruptured patellar tendon
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20072140
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted ratings for his left and right knee disabilities, as well as special monthly compensation and TDIU.
- Granted
The veteran is unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due to the severity of his service-connected disabilities, specifically bilateral hearing loss.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and a higher rating for his service-connected right knee disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The veteran's claims for increased ratings for her service-connected bilateral knee disabilities are being remanded to the RO for additional development, including an updated VA examination.
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.