The Board has granted service connection for degenerative disc disease and osteoarthritis of the low back. The issue of secondary service connection for bilateral foot condition is now at issue, as well as whether the Veteran's heart condition is related to an episode of syncope during service in May 1993.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence was in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran’s current low back disabilities are related to his military service. The issues of secondary service connection for bilateral foot condition and heart condition remain unresolved due to lack of a medical opinion on these specific theories.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease and osteoarthritis of the low back, Bilateral foot condition, Heart condition (Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 20, 2018
- Citation
- 18159979
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 18159979.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the service connection claims for vertigo, dry eye syndrome, and various bilateral conditions due to insufficient evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The claims for service connection for a bilateral foot condition and left knee condition are to be readjudicated, as the evidence of record is insufficient to make a decision on the merits.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a rating in excess of 50 percent for anxiety disorder and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but granted service connection for a bilateral foot condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left hand numbness, a bilateral foot condition, and gastrointestinal problems due to inadequate VA medical opinions.
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