The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not contribute substantially or materially to his death.
The deciding factor: VA medical opinions determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities were not likely principal or contributory causes of his death. The examiner disagreed with Dr. A.M.G.'s finding of gross physical inactivity due to his left lower leg amputation, and concluded that physical inactivity was not a major risk factor for myocardial infarction.
- Claimed conditions
- Loss of use of the left hand, Amputation of the left leg below the knee, Residuals of a shell fragment wound to the right arm and hand, Traumatic loss of a left testicle, Superficial scars to the face and right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 5, 2009
- Citation
- 0929282
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0929282.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for special monthly compensation due to loss of use of the hands and feet, as the AOJ failed to consider these issues in the Veteran's increased rating claims.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the appeal as there was no clear and unmistakable error in granting SMC at the K rate for loss of use of the left hand, based on the evidence then of record.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's left hand had no effective functioning other than what would have been equally well served by the use of a suitable prosthetic appliance after amputation, leading to an award of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the loss of use of the left hand.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the criteria for a 60 percent evaluation for loss of use of the left hand were met as of December 3, 2004 and granted an effective date of December 3, 2004.
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