The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a left foot heel spur was dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.
The deciding factor: The Veteran died while the appeal was pending, and per VA regulations, the Board cannot issue a decision on the underlying claim at this time.
- Claimed conditions
- left foot heel spur
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 10, 2026
- Citation
- A26033533
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 A26033533.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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 Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date and denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for left great toe hallux valgus as there was no legal basis to consider these issues.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection and special monthly compensation based on housebound criteria, as there was no legal basis to support an earlier effective date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to a compensable rating for left and right foot heel spurs, and an initial compensable disability rating for GERD and hiatal hernia due to inadequate VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased ratings for foot conditions to afford the Veteran a VA examination which addresses all of his right foot diagnoses, including pes planus, hallux valgus, and plantar fasciitis. The Board also remands the claims to assess the severity of the Veteran's bilateral heel spurs without the ameliorative effects of medication.
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