The Board found that the veteran's service-connected frostbite residuals did not cause, contribute substantially or materially to, combine with, or aid in causing his death from cardiac arrest due to coronary artery disease.
The deciding factor: The opinion of the independent medical expert (IME) was more persuasive than other opinions concluding otherwise, as it carefully considered all possible factors that contributed to the veteran's CAD and its manner of contribution.
- Claimed conditions
- Frostbite of hands, Frostbite of feet, Shrapnel wound to the back
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 3, 2005
- Citation
- 0506023
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 0506023.
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.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claims for initial evaluations in excess of 20 percent for residuals of frostbite of the hands and a compensable evaluation for bilateral Adie's Syndrome have been denied as there is no evidence of an exceptional or unusual disability picture that renders application of regular rating criteria impractical.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied the claim for DIC benefits as there is no legal basis for the claim or undisputed facts rendering the appellant ineligible.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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