The appeal concerning an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae is dismissed due to a rule against concurrent election.
The deciding factor: The appeal must be dismissed as a matter of law because the Veteran filed both a higher-level review request and a Board appeal while one was still pending, which constitutes an impermissible concurrent election under 38 C.F.R. § 3.2500(b).
- Claimed conditions
- Not specified in this decision
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 21, 2025
- Citation
- A25045842
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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
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.