The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for femoropopliteal bypass surgery, cause of death due to arteriosclerotic heart disease and other conditions, and total disability rating for compensation based on individual unemployability.
The deciding factor: The VA physician concluded that there was no inter-relation between the gunshot wound to the right thigh and subsequent development of significant arterial insufficiency, thus denying service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Femoral artery disease, Post-traumatic stress disorder, Unstable right knee, Wounds to Muscle Group XV of the right thigh and Muscle Groups XIII and XV of the left thigh (each thigh), Wounds of the left hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- June 2, 2003
- Citation
- 0311143
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 0311143.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's post-traumatic stress disorder is rated at 100 percent effective November 21, 2019, due to total occupational and social impairment.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and evidence collection, as some relevant private treatment records have not been obtained.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent for post-traumatic stress disorder and in excess of 10 percent for degenerative changes of the left talus bone to obtain relevant outstanding VA treatment records and to schedule additional examinations.
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