The Board has determined that the appellant is entitled to service connection for status post lumbar spine fusion at L3-S1, but her claim for a bilateral ankle disorder remains pending as additional evidence and information are needed.
The deciding factor: Service connection was granted for the low back disability due to the relative equipoise of evidence supporting its etiology in service. The ankle disorder claim is remanded as more evidence is required to substantiate it.
- Claimed conditions
- status post lumbar spine fusion at L3-S1, bilateral ankle disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 22, 2011
- Citation
- 1142789
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 1142789.
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 Board has granted service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disorder, gout, multiple painful joints, bilateral ankle disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left hip disorder, bilateral ankle disorder, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, heart disorder, insomnia, sexual arousal disorder, gynecological disorder, rheumatoid arthritis, and HTN. The evidence did not support a current diagnosis of these conditions or their relationship to military service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 30 percent for chronic diarrhea with GERD is dismissed. The appeals for earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for bilateral ankle disabilities are also dismissed.
- Denied
The Board found no current disabilities of the bilateral legs or ankles and thus denied service connection for these conditions.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.