The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities, including chronic osteomyelitis and ulcerations of the left leg, contributed substantially to his death from generalized sepsis. As such, service connection for the cause of the veteran's death is granted.
The deciding factor: The VA physician concluded that the veteran's active osteomyelitis likely caused septicemia in an elderly individual like him, contributing to his death.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of gunshot wound with fracture of the left tibia, chronic osteomyelitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 12, 2003
- Citation
- 0302734
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 127 · Granted: 25% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0302734.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's periods of active duty and National Guard service, as well as missing medical records from Grove Hill Memorial Hospital. The AOJ is instructed to obtain these records and verify the Veteran's service dates.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer and chronic osteomyelitis, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his military service. Prostate cancer is linked to ionizing radiation exposure in support of the Degelen Mountain Tunnel Closure Project in Kazakhstan, while chronic osteomyelitis is considered secondary to the service-connected prostate cancer.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right foot abrasion injury with chronic osteomyelitis, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his active duty service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's chronic osteomyelitis of the right leg was granted a 60 percent evaluation prior to November 12, 2012.
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