Your appeal has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The claims for service connection on all listed conditions are not before the Board.
The deciding factor: The Veteran died during the pendency of the appeal, and therefore the appeal is dismissed under 38 C.F.R. § 20.1302(a).
- Claimed conditions
- acid reflux, back disability, bilateral hearing loss, bilateral plantar fasciitis, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome, left knee disability, left and right lower extremity neuropathy, left and right upper extremity neuropathy, liver cirrhosis, lung scarring and nodule, neck disability, right hand disability, skin cancer of the lip, thyroid condition, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 3, 2026
- Citation
- A26019048
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 A26019048.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
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