The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for service connection for right and left hip disabilities, as well as her degenerative arthritis of the right hand, was granted. A rating in excess of 20 percent for low back strain is denied. The Veteran's bilateral pes planus is rated at a 30 percent since April 2, 2016.
The deciding factor: The evidence submitted since the last final denial related to unestablished facts necessary to substantiate the claims and raised a reasonable possibility of substantiating them.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Hip Disability, Left Hip Disability, Degenerative Arthritis of Right Hand, Low Back Strain, Bilateral Pes Planus
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- January 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19101115
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,037 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19101115.
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.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for the claimed conditions as there is no persuasive evidence of current diagnoses or in-service incurrence or aggravation.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's right hip disability, finding that her current 10 percent rating adequately reflects her symptoms and limitations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right hip disability, which may be related to service or secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for both a right hip disability and a left hip disability, finding that the Veteran's observable symptoms of pain and stiffness began during his active service and have persisted.
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.