The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the lumbar spine and a right and left foot disability, finding that these conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee strain with traumatic arthritis. The decision also reopened the claim for service connection for arthritis of the lumbar spine due to new evidence.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the current bilateral foot disabilities were caused by the service-connected lumbar spine disability, which is considered a secondary condition under VA law.
- Claimed conditions
- Arthritis of the lumbar spine, Right and Left Foot Disability (diminished sensation, adducto-varus deformity of left foot, drop foot on right side)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 14, 2011
- Citation
- 1142103
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 1142103.
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.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's arthritis of the lumbar spine was not shown as chronic in service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period. Continuity of symptomatology is not established, and the disability is not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury or disease.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for arthritis of the lumbar spine was denied as her disability did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation under VA's rating schedule.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the lumbar spine, right ankle, left ankle, and left foot on a presumptive basis due to continuous symptoms since service separation.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for right ear hearing loss was dismissed as untimely. The claim of a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability was denied, and the Veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.
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