Service connection is granted for low back disability as secondary to service-connected pes cavus and left ankle achilles tendonitis. Service connection remains pending for an acquired psychiatric disorder.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current low back disability is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected bilateral pes cavus and left ankle achilles tendonitis, resulting in limping and a weight-bearing shift to the contralateral side following a left knee sprain.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disability (variously diagnosed, to include as discogenic disease and myositis), acquired psychiatric disorder (major depressive disorder)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 18, 2018
- Citation
- 18143199
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 18143199.
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 tinnitus and major depressive disorder were found to have onset during his active-duty service. The appeal for a disability rating in excess of 0 percent for other conditions was dismissed, and the appeal concerning total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his skin disability and bilateral hearing loss, and dismissed his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically major depressive disorder, and denied the claims for a neck condition, traumatic brain injury, bilateral hearing loss, obstructive sleep apnea, lumbar spine disorder, hypertension, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection for tinnitus and major depressive disorder is granted, along with the restoration of her ratings for bilateral temporomandibular disorder and both knee disorders. The rating reductions for left and right patellofemoral pain syndrome are dismissed as moot.
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