The Veteran's appeal was dismissed because he died during the pendency of his claims, and no one is eligible to take his place in the appeal.
The deciding factor: The Veteran died before a decision could be made on his service connection claims.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 16, 2021
- Citation
- 21068933
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 21068933.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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 Veteran's claims for service connection for esophageal stricture and gastroesophageal reflux disease due to a failure to obtain a medical opinion regarding the latter condition. The claim will be reconsidered after obtaining such an opinion.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for gastroesophageal reflux disease and obstructive sleep apnea have been withdrawn, and the claims are dismissed.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to March 2, 2015, for TDIU was denied as the evidence did not show actual worsening within one year prior to his March 2, 2015, claim.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal contesting eligibility to attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in an October 3, 2025 rating decision. The AOJ issued a corrected FAN and amended FAN that replaced the previous decisions, leading to no valid appeal pending.
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