The appeal for service connection of scars on the left and right forearms was dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The decision does not affect the right of an eligible person to continue the appeal through substitution.
The deciding factor: The Board dismissed the appeal because the Veteran died during its pendency, and claims do not survive the Veteran's death.
- Claimed conditions
- scar, left forearm, scar, right forearm
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 8, 2025
- Citation
- A25001950
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 869 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A25001950.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in the physical loss or permanent loss of use of one or both hands or feet, permanent impairment of vision in both eyes, severe burn injury, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Therefore, he does not meet the eligibility criteria for financial assistance in the purchase of an automobile or other conveyance with adaptive equipment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of earlier effective dates for TDIU and DEA benefits due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically regarding the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prior to January 10, 2013.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection of a bilateral testicular condition is denied. The Board found no evidence of a current diagnosis or history of a testicular disability, and the Veteran does not have a diagnosed testicular disorder related to service. For his right forearm scar, painful scar, and nerve injury, the Veteran is currently rated at 70 percent for PTSD, which is the maximum rating allowed under Diagnostic Code 8513. The Board denied higher ratings for these conditions as they do not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.
- Granted
The Board has determined that service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted, with ischemic heart disease being presumed due to herbicide exposure during service.
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