The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a left leg and/or foot disorder, including foot drop and swelling, caused by VA treatment during the Veteran's March 2012 total knee replacement surgery.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support that the Veteran’s peroneal nerve injury or foot drop and swelling were proximately caused by VA care due to negligence or lack of proper skill.
- Claimed conditions
- Left leg and/or foot disorder, Foot drop, Swelling
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20081599
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,676 · Granted: 24% (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 20081599.
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 Veteran's initial rating for his multinodular benign thyroid condition with surgery and hypothyroidism is on appeal, as well as the propriety of a reduction from 60% to zero percent as of July 1, 2022. The Board finds that a remand is necessary to afford the Veteran VA examinations to determine the nature and severity of his thyroid disability and any associated acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's nerve injury with foot drop resulting from a right total hip replacement performed at a VA facility in April 2015 is not service-connected under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to lack of evidence showing carelessness, negligence, or similar instance of fault on the part of VA.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cause of death is related to exposure to herbicide agents (Agent Orange) during his service on ships in the Republic of Vietnam.,The Veteran's cause of death may be due to ionizing radiation exposure while serving on the U.S.S. Missouri and U.S.S. New Jersey.,The Veteran's cause of death might be linked to mercury exposure during his service, as suggested by medical literature and personal accounts.,The Veteran's cause of death could potentially be attributed to an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained multisymptom illness (MUCMI) due to his Gulf War Service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for instability of the right knee, but denied higher ratings for limitation of flexion and episodes of locking and swelling.
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