The Board found that the veteran's osteomyelitis was not due to carelessness, negligence or any other fault on the part of VA. The event (the bunionectomy) was reasonably foreseeable as a possible complication given his history of diabetes.
The deciding factor: VA medical treatment did not result in an additional disability due to the veteran's pre-existing condition (diabetes).
- Claimed conditions
- osteomyelitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 15, 2002
- Citation
- 0216443
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 0216443.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for osteomyelitis, a back disability, and a neck disability as the evidence did not support a causal relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's active military service or presumed exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board is remanding the claim for service connection of the Veteran's cause of death due to a predecisional duty to assist error in not obtaining relevant medical records from the state veteran's home.
- Granted
The Veteran's requirement for assistance with activities of daily living was granted as a result of his service-connected left and right foot disabilities, specifically due to osteomyelitis.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for osteomyelitis and amputation above the knee, left as secondary to osteomyelitis. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were granted.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.