The veteran's claims for initial evaluations of his service-connected disabilities were denied. The residuals of a fractured mandible do not warrant a compensable evaluation, the low back disorder is rated at 10 percent based on moderate intervertebral disc syndrome with recurring attacks, and both knee and ankle conditions are each rated at 10 percent.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not meet the criteria for higher evaluations under applicable rating criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis, left ankle, Degenerative arthritis, right knee, Degenerative disc disease, L5-S1, Fractured mandible
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 26, 2004
- Citation
- 0402505
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,642 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0402505.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right and left knees, as secondary to service-connected degenerative arthritis with spinal stenosis and lumbar disc displacement. The remand is required due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board is remanding the claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of both knees, hypertension, and a lower back disorder to obtain private medical records from Dr. B. Taylor.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Denied
The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis, right knee and left knee.
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