The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left leg amputation, ligament and muscle damage in left leg, and chronic heart failure due to a duty to assist error. The missing VA treatment records from the summer of 2018 are needed to properly assess these claims.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on a duty to assist error where relevant VA treatment records for the period of the Veteran's amputation and hospitalizations for heart failure are missing.
- Claimed conditions
- left leg amputation, ligament and muscle damage in left leg, chronic heart failure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 29, 2024
- Citation
- A24028026
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 A24028026.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's effective date for service connection of left leg amputation and associated scars, as well as SMC based on loss of use of the left leg, is set to January 28, 2022. The effective date for DEA eligibility is also set to January 28, 2022. An effective date prior to January 28, 2022, was denied for service connection of chronic headaches.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left and right leg amputations, which are claimed to be secondary to service-connected cellulitis. The VA medical opinions provided prior to the decision were not in accordance with the law regarding secondary service connection.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for chronic heart failure due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents, but denied service connection for cysts on both kidneys as the evidence does not support a link to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease, chronic heart failure, and mitral regurgitation associated with Camp Lejeune contaminated water exposure is granted. The Board found that the diagnosed conditions originated as a result of his presumed exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during active duty.
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