The Board found that the veteran's cause of death was not due to his service-connected disabilities, and denied both the claim for service connection for the cause of death and the pension benefits. The appellant's income exceeded the statutory levels for receiving pension benefits.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence showing a direct relationship between the veteran's service-connected conditions and his cause of death.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a cold injury of the left foot with peripheral neuropathy, residuals of a cold injury of the right foot with peripheral neuropathy, residuals of a cold injury of the left hand, residuals of a cold injury of the right hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- February 1, 2007
- Citation
- 0703176
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 0703176.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to readjudicate the previously denied claims of service connection for various conditions, including cervical spine strain, diabetes mellitus type II (DM II), erectile dysfunction (ED), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), left ankle strain, right ankle instability, residuals of a cold injury of the hands, mental health condition, and head injuries. The claims are being remanded to allow for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there was an error in the March 2023 VA examination and remands the case for a new opinion to assess whether the Veteran's cold injury residuals are related to his service.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's current cold injury residuals in his right hand, left hand, and left lower extremity are related to service exposure to cold temperatures. The claims for service connection have been granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development as there are outstanding VA treatment records and examinations that have not been associated with the claims file.,The Veteran's service connection claim for pseudofolliculitis barbae will be remanded to determine if he has a current diagnosis of this condition, and whether it is related to his military service.,The Veteran's right knee disability, left foot disability, residuals of cold injury of the right hand, and residuals of cold injury of the left hand will be remanded for an examination to determine their nature and etiology.,The Veteran's increased rating claim for plantar fasciitis of the right foot will be remanded for a new VA examination to assess its current severity.,The Veteran's service connection claims for residuals of cold injury of the right hand and left hand will be remanded for an examination to determine their nature and etiology.,The Veteran's increased rating claim for plantar fasciitis of the right foot will be remanded for a new VA examination to assess its current severity.
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