The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for low back disability and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, finding new and material evidence. Service connection is granted on a secondary basis to the left ankle disability.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports that the Veteran's current low back and left knee disabilities are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected left ankle disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the thoracolumbar spine, Internal derangement of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 30, 2017
- Citation
- 1748693
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 1748693.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examiner's opinion regarding whether his service-connected disabilities result in loss of use and if so, whether he requires aid and attendance without considering such disability/ies. The Veteran also needs to be considered for SMC R1 based on the need for regular aid and attendance.
- Denied
The Board denied entitlement to increased ratings for the Veteran's low back disability, left ankle disability, and lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as a TDIU.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the thoracolumbar spine, as there was no evidence of unfavorable ankylosis.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorders have rendered him so helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance, thus granting SMC based on aid and attendance.
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