The claims for service connection and TDIU from April 1, 2015 have been granted by a VA rating decision dated April 2020. The Board has dismissed the appeal due to lack of jurisdiction as the claims are moot.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to the promulgation of a decision in the appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 8, 2020
- Citation
- 20077615
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20077615.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board previously denied service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx. The Court remanded the case due to insufficient reasons and bases provided by the Board regarding the potential link between in-service herbicide exposure and the cancer.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU due to a need for further medical examination regarding his squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx, which is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during service.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx, which is a metastasis of primary laryngeal cancer. Given his exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam and the presumption of service connection for respiratory cancers associated with herbicide exposure, the cause of death is presumed related to service.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx and larynx cancer were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and neither cancer may be presumed to have been incurred therein.
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