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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for light sensitivity is granted. The claims for service connection for bilateral knee strain and bilateral foot condition are remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a low back condition, bilateral knee condition, and bilateral foot condition as there was no credible evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for major depressive disorder, right hernia, bilateral eye condition, stomach condition, bilateral foot condition, and diabetes mellitus as there is no evidence to support a causal relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for various conditions, including peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities and upper extremity, bilateral kidney condition, right shoulder condition, lower back condition, anxiety, bilateral foot condition, right knee condition, diabetes mellitus, type II, headaches, gum condition, hypertension, blood disorder, and tinnitus. The case is remanded for further examination regarding a left ankle condition.
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