The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the merits have been dismissed due to withdrawal of appeal. The claims for reopening were granted, and new evidence was submitted in support of these claims.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeals for sleep apnea, lung cancer, bilateral hearing loss, chronic lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, sinusitis, bilateral knee disability, depression, tinnitus, skin cancer, psychiatric disability (to include PTSD and depression), left hip disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, lung cancer, bilateral hearing loss, chronic lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, sinusitis, bilateral knee disability, depression, tinnitus, skin cancer, psychiatric disability (to include PTSD and depression), left hip disability, left knee disability, right knee disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 21, 2021
- Citation
- 21023658
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 21023658.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
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