The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's right Achilles tendon rupture, finding that it is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected lumbar disc disease at L4-L5.
The deciding factor: VA medical opinion supports the claim that the veteran's back condition with resultant radiculopathy could have caused enough pain and weakness leading to a fall and tear in his Achilles tendon.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Achilles tendon rupture
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 5, 2003
- Citation
- 0311580
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,175 · Granted: 22% (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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0311580.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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 Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for right Achilles tendon rupture residuals with surgical repair was denied, as the evidence did not show an increase in symptoms warranting a rating higher than 20 percent. The current evaluation of 20 percent is granted for the period from March 31, 2011 through August 22, 2023.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for his right Achilles tendon rupture was denied, but he received an increased rating to 20 percent effective from the date of his claim. He also received a 10 percent rating for his right ankle surgical scar since March 14, 2012.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right Achilles tendon rupture, finding that the Veteran's disability only included moderate limitation of motion.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an extraschedular disability rating for right Achilles tendon rupture is remanded due to the need for information about the qualifications of the 2017 VA examiner and a new examination.
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