The Board finds that the veteran's low back disorder is secondary to his service-connected lower extremity disabilities and grants secondary service connection. The left ankle fracture residuals are rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available.
The deciding factor: VA examiners and consultants agreed that the veteran's low back disability was caused or aggravated by his service-connected lower extremity disabilities, including fractures of both fibulas.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back disorder, Left ankle fracture
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- September 20, 2006
- Citation
- 0629811
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,699 · Granted: 17% (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 0629811.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, bilateral knee disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder, finding that the evidence did not show an in-service onset or relationship to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination report and failure to consider the effects of medication on the Veteran's left ankle disability.
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