The Board has dismissed all claims for service connection and increased ratings due to the appellant's death.
The deciding factor: The appellant died during the pendency of the appeal, thus the Board lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of the claims.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, right elbow bursitis, left elbow bursitis, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, arteriosclerotic heart disease, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, diabetic nephropathy, posttraumatic stress disorder, diabetes mellitus, type II
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 19, 2021
- Citation
- 21009207
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 21009207.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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 his appeal regarding the claims for sleep apnea and an increased disability rating for diabetes mellitus, type II.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD. The decision finds that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is proximately due to his service-connected PTSD.
- Granted
The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is granted on a secondary basis with obesity serving as an intermediate step due to service-connected low back disability, sciatica, and right shoulder disabilities.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder has been dismissed as the appellant requested withdrawal of the appeal.
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