The Board has determined that service connection is not well-grounded for headaches, bilateral ankle fractures, bilateral knee disability, and bilateral hip disability. The claim of a lumbar spine disability is granted as the veteran's current back strain with normal X-rays is considered to be related to his inservice lifting injury.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish that the veteran currently has residuals from his in-service ankle fractures or any current bilateral knee or hip disabilities. The Board finds no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's current back strain to service, as it was noted on examination that there were no real changes in symptomatology and X-rays showed normal findings.
- Claimed conditions
- Headaches, Bilateral Ankle Fractures, Bilateral Knee Disability, Bilateral Hip Disability, Lumbar Spine Disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 1, 2000
- Citation
- 0023434
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 0023434.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disability, headaches, a back disability, heart disability, and residuals of a stroke, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active service or caused by his service-connected left ear disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for erectile dysfunction and remanded the claims for a sleep disorder and headaches to ensure proper development of evidence.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeal in September 2025, stating that she is now 100% permanently and totally disabled effective April 29, 2025.
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.