The appeals for service connection and TDIU have been dismissed due to the appellant's death.
The deciding factor: The appellant died during the pendency of the appeal, thus the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of the claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Right thumb disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 23, 2021
- Citation
- 21009859
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 21009859.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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 has remanded the cases of service connection for left and right knee disorders due to procedural errors. The Veteran's claims are not yet decided.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for major depressive disorder and anxiety, but dismissed the claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for a right thumb disorder, a compensable rating for a right thumb scar, a rating in excess of 10 percent for a right thumb scar, and a left great toe disorder as moot. The claims for service connection for a left hip disorder, a right shoulder disorder, and PTSD were remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for various right hand and finger disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right thumb disorder and gout, bilateral feet due to insufficient evidence in the record.
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