The appeal for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and posttraumatic stress disorder is dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
The deciding factor: The Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of the claims on appeal due to the Veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, Left lower extremity radiculopathy, Posttraumatic stress disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 18, 2025
- Citation
- A25035873
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted an effective date of July 31, 2012, for TDIU and October 22, 2012, for service connection of left and right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Denied
The appeal for higher ratings and effective dates for various conditions was denied, with the exception of left and right lower extremity radiculopathy which were granted an earlier effective date.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 9, 2022, for the grant of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder with generalized anxiety disorder, other specified depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and personality disorder, due to the need for further development of the record.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.