The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The Veteran died during the pendency of the appeal, and as a matter of law, the Board cannot issue a decision on the underlying claims at this time.
- Claimed conditions
- left heel disability, left shoulder disability (secondary to left heel), left ankle disability (secondary to left heel), left hip disability (secondary to left heel), right ankle disability (secondary to left heel), right foot disability (secondary to left heel), right hip disability (secondary to left heel), right shoulder disability (secondary to left heel), lower spine disability (secondary to left heel), upper spine disability (secondary to left heel)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 29, 2025
- Citation
- A25047789
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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 a left heel disability to obtain an addendum opinion that adequately addresses the Veteran's reports of symptoms and history.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the appeal for readjudication of service connection claims, primarily focusing on a left heel disability and its secondary effects.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including left ankle, left heel, left leg shin splints, lumbar spine, right elbow, right heel, and right leg shin splints, as further development is needed to determine if these conditions are related to active duty service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left knee disability, left ankle disability, left heel disability, and obstructive sleep apnea based on the evidence being at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions had their onset in service.
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