The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Bell's Palsy has been dismissed due to his death.
The deciding factor: The Veteran died during the pendency of his appeal, thus the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this case.
- Claimed conditions
- Bell's Palsy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 27, 2021
- Citation
- 21025094
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 21025094.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's claims seeking service connection for fatty liver, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, Bell's Palsy, GERD, neurobehavioral issues, and throat/esophageal cancer have been dismissed due to procedural errors in filing a concurrent election of review options.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for SMC-AA/HB and service connection for urinary frequency secondary to his service-connected lumbosacral strain with spinal stenosis is being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, which is the maximum rating available. The Board granted a 100 percent rating for CAD from October 21, 2013 to July 26, 2016. TDIU was granted effective August 31, 2011 and SMC at housebound rate was granted effective October 21, 2013.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's Bell's Palsy, Diabetes Mellitus Type II, Hypertension, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Glaucoma, and Low Back Arthritis were denied as they did not manifest in service or for many years thereafter, and the evidence does not show that his disabilities are related to or may be associated with service.,The Veteran's low back arthritis was denied as there is no indication of an association between the disability claimed by the veteran and his active duty service.
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