The Board denied service connection for a low back disability due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service or any other related conditions.,Compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 was denied for diabetic retinopathy of left eye with macular edema as there is no evidence that VA's care caused the worsening of the condition.,The Board also denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for left foot osteomyelitis, status post left first ray amputation due to lack of evidence showing VA negligence or fault in causing the disability.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence did not support a finding that the low back condition was related to service.,There is no evidence that VA's care caused the worsening of the diabetic retinopathy, and the Veteran had non-compliance with treatment recommendations which led to complications.,VA's care in amputating the left foot due to osteomyelitis did not cause additional disability as the condition was unavoidable given the Veteran's diabetes.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disability, diabetic retinopathy of left eye with macular edema (claimed as going blind), left foot osteomyelitis, status post left first ray amputation (claimed as left foot big toe bunion)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19192817
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,480 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19192817.
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 has found that remand is needed for the Veteran's claims due to duty to assist errors, including clarification of periods of service and obtaining relevant records. The Veteran will be afforded new medical examinations for each claimed disability.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims of right shoulder disability and low back disability due to insufficient evidence.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back disability was granted with an effective date of January 9, 2018. The Board accepted her November 21, 2019 VA Form 20-0996 as a valid opt-in of the April 2019 SOC into the modernized review system.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal concerning diabetes and a low back disability has been dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.
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