The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's L3-L4 and L4-L5 disk herniation as secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities. The Veteran's right knee degenerative changes, residuals of right knee injury status post ACL reconstruction, and residuals of donor site surgery of the left knee with chondromalacia patella are also service connected.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding whether the Veteran's L3-L4 and L4-L5 herniated disks are caused by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities and lumbosacral strain, and resolved any reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- L3-L4 and L4-L5 disk herniation, Right knee degenerative changes, Residuals of right knee injury status post ACL reconstruction, Residuals of donor site surgery of the left knee with chondromalacia patella
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 14, 2015
- Citation
- 1516018
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 1516018.
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 low back disability was restored to a 40 percent rating, and the right knee and TBI residuals ratings were remanded for further review.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted from September 1, 2008 to May 20, 2015 due to his service-connected disabilities making him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left knee degenerative changes and major depressive disorder with anxiety, as the evidence did not support a higher rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board denied a 10 percent rating for multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities and remanded the claims of service connection for cervical spine, bilateral knees, acquired psychiatric condition, and sleep disorder.
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