The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, Parkinson's Disease, was etiologically related to his in-service right ankle fracture. The medical opinions are evenly split on this issue, but the Board has resolved doubt in favor of the appellant.
The deciding factor: Medical opinions were evenly divided regarding whether the in-service right ankle fracture contributed to the Veteran's cause of death (Parkinson's Disease), but the Board found that the evidence supported a direct service connection based on the medical opinions and the Veteran's history.
- Claimed conditions
- Parkinson's Disease, right ankle fracture
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19112076
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,092 · Granted: 42% (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 19112076.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination. The Veteran's claim is related to his exposure at Camp Lejeune, but there are questions about whether he currently has Parkinson's Disease or Parkinsonism.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities require regular aid and attendance, which grants entitlement to special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance. The issue of entitlement to special monthly compensation at a housebound rate is moot due to the grant of aid and attendance.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected Parkinson's Disease, but denied it based on direct causation.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.
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