The Board finds that the veteran's death was accidental and not caused by his service-connected right ankle osteomyelitis. The evidence does not support a finding that the veteran's alcoholism, which began well before his surgery in 1992, was related to his right ankle condition.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the veteran's death from hypothermia was accidental and not caused by his service-connected right ankle osteomyelitis. The evidence did not support a finding of causal connection between the veteran's alcoholism and his right ankle condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Osteomyelitis of the right ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 3, 2006
- Citation
- 0603162
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
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