The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability, but denied service connection for left and right ankle sprains, right Achilles tendonitis, and right foot fracture residuals.,The Veteran's low back disability is presumed to have been incurred in service due to the nature of his military occupational specialty.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was at least an equal balance of evidence for and against the claim of a low back disability, thus resolving any doubt in favor of the Veteran. The examiner noted that the Veteran's lower back injuries are arthritic in nature and not due to a prior sprain injury.
- Claimed conditions
- Low Back Disability, Left Ankle Sprain, Right Ankle Sprain, Right Achilles Tendonitis, Right Foot Fracture Residuals
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 2, 2017
- Citation
- 1719656
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 1719656.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his low back, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations. The AOJ is instructed to obtain private treatment records from Mays & Schnapp Pain Management and schedule the Veteran for additional medical examinations.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back disability, including diagnosed degenerative arthritis with DDD other than intervertebral disc syndrome and spinal stenosis status post L3, L4, and L5 laminectomy. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service injury and his ongoing symptoms since then.
- Granted
The Veteran's right shoulder disability, low back condition, bilateral knee disabilities, and left shoulder strain have been granted service connection. The Veteran's low back condition has been increased to a 40 percent evaluation, while the bilateral knee conditions remain at their current 10 percent evaluations.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for the claimed conditions as there is no persuasive evidence of current diagnoses or in-service incurrence or aggravation.
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