The Board found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause his death, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion concluded it was less likely than not that the veteran's death was caused by his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- gunshot wound to the right thigh, gunshot wound to the left foot, gunshot wound to the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 1, 2005
- Citation
- 0518157
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 0518157.
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 death was ruled due to his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and low back pain with degenerative disc disease. The Board found that the criteria for SMC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1114(s) were met as there was a single service-connected disability rated as total (PTSD) and an additional disability independently ratable at 60 percent (low back pain with degenerative disc disease).
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance or permanently housebound by reason of his service-connected disabilities, thus the criteria for SMC based on the need for aid and attendance were not met.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining service personnel and drill pay records. The Veteran's claims for gunshot wound to the left knee, bipolar disorder, and PTSD are being reviewed.
- Granted
The Veteran's left foot gunshot wound residuals have been manifested by a painful scar, and he is entitled to an initial disability rating of 10 percent for this condition.
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