The Veteran's appeals for service connection for heart condition and anemia due to exposure at Camp Lejeune have been dismissed because the Veteran passed away before a decision was made.
The deciding factor: The Veteran died during the appeal process, making it impossible to make a decision on the merits of the case.
- Claimed conditions
- heart condition, anemia
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20074660
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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 Board denied service connection for a vitamin D deficiency and remanded claims for coronary artery disease, status post femoral bypass, chronic kidney disease, and anemia due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for GERD, a heart condition, hypertension, a kidney condition, and obstructive sleep apnea as there is no evidence of current disabilities related to these conditions or that they are etiologically linked to the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a new medical opinion to address whether the Appellant's heart condition had onset during his period of ACDUTRA service.
- Partly granted
The appeal for service connection for fibromyalgia was granted with an effective date of August 14, 2023. The appeals for earlier effective dates and higher ratings were denied.
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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.