The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for lung fibrosis and esophageal cancer residuals was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran during the pendency of the appeal.
The deciding factor: The Veteran died while the appeal was pending, which automatically dismisses the appeal under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- lung fibrosis, residuals of squamous cell esophageal cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 25, 2026
- Citation
- A26026985
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 A26026985.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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 has decided to remand the case for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's lung conditions, specifically whether they are related to service exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's private physician diagnosed him as having restrictive, interstitial pulmonary disease and lung fibrosis. The VA examinations indicated a possible moderate restrictive component to the Veteran's pulmonary dysfunction, which may be secondary to asbestos exposure. The Board finds that another VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran currently has any restrictive respiratory disorder or if there is a restrictive component of his respiratory disorder, and whether it is due to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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