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Whole decision: Denied

The veteran's fall on ice at the VA Medical Center in Texarkana, Texas did not result from VA hospitalization or treatment. The resulting left knee disability was deemed to be a direct service connection and not due to negligence or other fault on the part of VA.

The deciding factor: The fall occurred outside of VA facilities and treatment, thus it is considered a direct service connection rather than one caused by VA's negligence or fault.

Claimed conditions
left knee fracture, left ankle instability, left knee swelling
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
December 15, 2004
Citation
0433211

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 0433211.

What this means for you

A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.

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.

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