The Board dismissed multiple claims, including those for increased ratings and service connection for various conditions. The decision also noted the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The Veteran died in October 2020, which resulted in the dismissal of all pending claims due to lack of jurisdiction.
- Claimed conditions
- right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, bilateral hearing loss, scar, low back, lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease (DDD), degenerative joint disease (DJD) and spinal stenosis status-post lumbar discectomy, rhinitis and sinusitis, left knee strain with degenerative arthritis, right knee disorder, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, cervical disorder, right foot/toes disorder, left foot/toes disorder, left wrist disorder, right wrist disorder, right hand/fingers disorder, left hand/fingers disorder, left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, right hip disorder, left hip disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20075033
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Partly granted
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection and granted initial 40 percent ratings for left upper extremity CTS, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's award of total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted effective from April 15, 2017, solely based on his unspecified anxiety disorder. The claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy was 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.