The Veteran's heart attack following right ankle fusion surgery is not considered to be due to VA carelessness, negligence or similar fault. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding of additional disability resulting from VA treatment.
The deciding factor: The March 2018 VA examiner found no evidence of faulty care by VA and concluded that the heart attack was an unfortunate but well-recognized complication of the ankle surgery, not due to negligence or lack of proper skill in providing medical treatment.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart Attack
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 20, 2021
- Citation
- 21023052
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 21023052.
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: Denied
The Board denied service connection for sinusitis and allergic rhinitis, and remanded the claim for a heart attack due to insufficient evidence.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including failing to obtain relevant private treatment records. The Veteran's heart attack in July 2020 is being reviewed again for service connection.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to warrant readjudication of the claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151, but the issue is now remanded to consider the merits of the claim.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been submitted regarding the Veteran's heart attack claim, warranting readjudication. The evidence suggests a possible connection to service exposure, including PCBs or radiation.
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