The Board has dismissed the appeal as the appellant died during the pendency of the case and there are no surviving eligible persons to continue the appeal.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's death precluded the Board from adjudicating the merits of the claim due to lack of jurisdiction.
- Claimed conditions
- Depressive Disorder with Anxiety
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 19, 2021
- Citation
- A21016906
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 A21016906.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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)
This decision dismisses the Veteran's appeal for an increased disability rating for Pseudofolliculitis Barbae. The Veteran's tinnitus and headaches are granted service connection, but his left ear hearing loss, depressive disorder with anxiety, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and scar on the head remain remanded for further development.,Service connection is granted for tinnitus due to in-service noise exposure. Headaches are also granted as related to an in-service fall.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed all claims for earlier effective dates and increased disability ratings, as the appellant withdrew his appeals.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his depressive disorder with anxiety was denied prior to July 22, 2011. From July 22, 2011, to January 3, 2020, the Veteran received a 50 percent rating. The case is remanded for further action.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for headaches, right upper extremity numbness, left upper extremity numbness, and obstructive sleep apnea (based on secondary aggravation) due to the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorder. The issue of an increased rating for depressive disorder with anxiety prior to May 7, 2020 is dismissed.
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