The Board has denied the claim for service connection under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 as the Veteran's bilateral leg amputation was not due to faulty VA care, and no fault is found on the part of the VA.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's bilateral leg amputation was caused by negligence or lack of proper skill from VA care. The cause of the gangrene leading to the amputations was attributed to multiple co-morbidities, including diabetes and kidney disease.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral leg amputation, gangrene
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19124841
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,886 · Granted: 24% (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 19124841.
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 found that the Veteran requires personal care services for at least six continuous months due to his conditions, but further evaluation is needed to determine if it is in his best interest to participate in the PCAFC program.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death, including diabetes mellitus type II and ischemic heart disease, are now presumed to be related to his in-service herbicide agent exposure. Therefore, the appeal for service connection for cause of death is granted.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death, and no compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is granted for status post amputations of 2nd and 5th toes of right foot for infection and gangrene.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for type II diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, erectile dysfunction, and bilateral leg amputation due to incomplete service records and need for a VA examination.
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.