The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected frostbite of both feet and left below knee amputation did not cause or contribute substantially to his death from coronary artery disease.
The deciding factor: A VA cardiologist concluded that the Veteran's cardiovascular disease resulted from his age, hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia, and was not caused by his cold exposure in service or by his frostbite.
- Claimed conditions
- Cardiovascular disease, Frostbite of both feet, Left below knee amputation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 3, 2011
- Citation
- 1140951
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 1140951.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for cardiovascular disease, finding that it is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service. The Veteran's condition was attributed to post-service factors such as obesity and hypertension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded all five service connection claims due to a duty to assist error in failing to obtain National Guard records for ADT or IDT. The Veteran's exposure to insecticides during his New York Air National Guard service is considered presumptive for hypertension, cardiovascular disease, CKD, COPD, and CLL.
- Granted
The veteran was granted an effective date of September 11, 2019 for the award of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35.
- Denied
The Veteran's left leg disability, which is rated as status post left below knee amputation, has already been assigned the maximum rating of 40 percent. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted due to the nature of the amputation and the current rating being the highest possible under the applicable criteria.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.