The Board found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute to his death, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.
The deciding factor: There was no evidence linking the veteran's service-connected disabilities to his fatal cardiovascular diseases.
- Claimed conditions
- left below the knee amputation, incomplete paralysis of the left ulnar nerve with atrophy of the hypothenar muscles, anxiety reaction, ankylosis of the left 4th finger, incomplete flexion of the left 5th finger, multiple scars
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 15, 2006
- Citation
- 0604365
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.
- Dismissed
The Board denied the Veteran's motions to reverse or revise prior rating decisions on grounds of clear and unmistakable error (CUE), finding no such errors in the March 1971 and August 2004 decisions.
- Granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for diabetes mellitus, Type II, diabetic retinopathy, and diabetic nephropathy, as well as awards of service connection for various peripheral neuropathies and amputations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for left below the knee amputation and right ankle ulcer due to additional disability resulting from VA treatment, as further development is needed.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left below the knee amputation based on secondary causation by the service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.
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