The veteran's death was caused by cardio-respiratory arrest, with atherosclerotic heart disease and hypertensive vascular disease contributing substantially to his death. The appellant has established that the veteran had internment as a POW for at least 30 days, which qualifies him for presumptive service connection under the revised regulations.
The deciding factor: The veteran's internment as a POW provided a basis for presumptive service connection for atherosclerotic heart disease and hypertensive vascular disease (including their complications) due to his internment.
- Claimed conditions
- partial paralysis of the right sciatic nerve, residuals of shell fragment wound and gunshot wound with muscle injury and atrophy, ankylosis of ankle in plantar flexion, limited knee motion, 2 inch shortening, hammer toe deformities
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 23, 2006
- Citation
- 0608371
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,547 · Granted: 20% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0608371.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of the feet, bilateral hallux valgus, hammer toe deformities, and atherosclerotic disease in distal arteries was denied. The Board found that there is no evidence to support a finding that these conditions began during or are otherwise related to service. The Veteran's claim for TDIU was also denied as he does not have any service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for arthritis of the feet and total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to inextricably intertwined issues. The Veteran's complaints during service include foot trouble, which may be related to his current conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted entitlement to a TDIU on an extra-schedular basis due to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes cavus and hammer toe deformities, which render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal is remanded for further development, including a new VA examination to clarify the nature and etiology of any bilateral foot disorder found.
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