The appeal for service connection and increased ratings for kidney disease, hypertension, headaches, PTSD, and degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine was dismissed due to a withdrawal by the Veteran.
The deciding factor: The appeal was withdrawn in written correspondence from the Veteran's representative, satisfying the criteria for withdrawal under 38 C.F.R. § 20.205.
- Claimed conditions
- kidney disease, hypertension, headaches, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 21, 2025
- Citation
- A25045665
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
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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.