The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for osteomyelitis bone marrow infection and service connection for opioid addiction as secondary to his service-connected right knee and ankle conditions, finding that new and relevant evidence had not been received.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for osteomyelitis bone marrow infection was denied due to a lack of evidence showing carelessness, negligence, or fault on VA's part in furnishing treatment, and that new and relevant evidence had not been received since the previous denial. For service connection, the Board determined that there was no causal relationship between the Veteran's opioid addiction and his service-connected knee and ankle conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Osteomyelitis bone marrow infection, Opioid addiction
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 31, 2025
- Citation
- A25094674
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,569 · 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 A25094674.
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 decided to remand the Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 and 38 U.S.C. § 1110 for opioid addiction due to incomplete evidence, including missing private treatment records of his pain management specialist and a lack of a clinical diagnosis of opioid use disorder. The Board also requested an appropriate VA medical opinion regarding the Veteran's contentions under both 38 U.S.C. § 1151 and service connection principles.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The appeal is granted as his PTSD is now considered service-connected.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection of a left leg disability is reopened, and the appeal is granted.
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.