The appeal for service connection for right shoulder rotator cuff disorder was dismissed due to the appellant's death.
The deciding factor: The Veteran died during the pendency of the appeal, and as a matter of law, appellants' claims do not survive their deaths.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder rotator cuff disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 5, 2025
- Citation
- 25003187
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,156 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 25003187.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD has been withdrawn and dismissed.,Service connection for right knee degeneration is denied.,Service connection for low back condition is denied.,The case of service connection for right shoulder rotator cuff disorder is remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for bipolar disorder, left shoulder rotator cuff tear residuals, right shoulder rotator cuff disorder, and hypertension has been reopened. Service connection is granted for left shoulder rotator cuff tear residuals and denied for right shoulder rotator cuff disorder and hypertension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection on appeal are remanded due to the need for additional development and examination. The issues include determining whether new evidence was received to reopen a claim, as well as evaluating various conditions such as tinnitus, rotator cuff disorders, arthritis, Gulf War syndrome, joint pain, headaches, sleep disturbances, allergic rhinitis, upper respiratory disorder, fatigue, skin disorder, knee tendonitis, ankle disorders, and others. The Veteran's service connection claims are being remanded to allow for further review and examination.
- Granted
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability and remanded it for further development, including an examination to determine if his current condition is related to his military service.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.