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 assigned
- None in this 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0929282.
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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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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