The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current low back or left hip disability that is service-connected, and any disabilities found are not related to his service-connected left ankle or left knee disabilities. The veteran's TDIU claim is also denied as he does not meet the schedular criteria for a total rating based on individual unemployability.
The deciding factor: The Board found no evidence of a low back or left hip disability in service, and there was insufficient competent medical evidence to establish a causal relationship between any current disabilities and his service-connected left ankle or left knee disabilities. The veteran's occupational experience as a laborer and the lack of significant hospitalizations for his service-connected conditions precluded a finding that he is unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease at L3-4, status post laminectomy and diskectomy, Left hip disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 1, 2006
- Citation
- 0615939
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,435 · 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 0615939.
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: Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the claims for psychiatric disability and sleep apnea.,Service connection was granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to a service-connected back disability, but denied for right wrist disability.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including low back, left hip, right hip, left shoulder, and right shoulder disabilities. The VA examinations did not provide adequate opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's bladder cancer, hypertension, Bowen's disease (skin condition), thyroid condition (hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism), back disability, left hip disability, osteopenia/osteoporosis, and right foot vascular disorder are all granted as presumptively related to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities are also found to be secondary to these conditions.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for thoracolumbar spine disability and left hip disability due to inadequate medical opinions in the original decision. The claims will be reconsidered with new medical opinions.
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