The Board found that the Veteran's low back disability is not related to his active service and denied service connection. For the period prior to September 26, 2017, the Veteran was granted a 10 percent evaluation for his left knee fracture, tibia and fibula. From September 26, 2017 to present, the maximum available schedular rating (100 percent) for his left knee status post total arthroplasty is assigned.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's low back disability was less likely than not caused by his service-connected left knee disability and more likely due to regular wear and tear process. The examiner also noted there was no evidence of any abnormal weight bearing, normal gait, and no shift in alignment of the spine.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- April 10, 2018
- Citation
- 1821800
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 1821800.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that remand is needed for the Veteran's claims due to duty to assist errors, including clarification of periods of service and obtaining relevant records. The Veteran will be afforded new medical examinations for each claimed disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims of right shoulder disability and low back disability due to insufficient evidence.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back disability was granted with an effective date of January 9, 2018. The Board accepted her November 21, 2019 VA Form 20-0996 as a valid opt-in of the April 2019 SOC into the modernized review system.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal concerning diabetes and a low back disability has been dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.
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