The Board found that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability is not caused or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral frozen foot disability, and thus denied the claim for secondary service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that it is less likely than not that the service-connected bilateral frozen foot disability contributed to or aggravated the current lumbar spine disability beyond its natural progression.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis in the lumbar spine, Degenerative disc disease in the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 30, 2018
- Citation
- 1819305
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 1819305.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's cervical spine disability, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and lumbar spine disability are rated at 20 percent. The Veteran's left ankle disability is rated at the maximum schedular rating of 20 percent. The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is rated at 10 percent prior to January 12, 2020 and at 20 percent thereafter.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for higher initial disability ratings for degenerative arthritis in the lumbar spine and radiculopathy in the left lower extremity have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected low back and right lower extremity conditions.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.