The appeal was dismissed for untimeliness, and service connection claims were denied or remanded based on the evidence of record.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not file a timely appeal within one year of the last adjudication of his service connection claims, which resulted in their dismissal. For other claims, the evidence did not support the establishment of service connection for aging, hair loss, depression, or increased ratings for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.
- Claimed conditions
- hip pain, back pain, cervical and thoracic strain, concussion with headaches, subacromial bursitis, hair loss, depression, PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, acne, photophobia (claimed as a vision disability), left knee disability, right knee disability, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, left hand disability, right hand disability, unknown skin growth of the left lower abdomen (claimed as a stomach area cyst)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 17, 2025
- Citation
- A25035689
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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 remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and somatic symptom disorder, as well as presumptive service connection for basal cell carcinoma under the PACT Act. Service connection was denied for chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, right restless leg syndrome, left restless leg syndrome, an increased rating for psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, a left forehead surgical scar, and allergic rhinitis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
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