The Veteran's shin splints of the right and left lower extremities are currently rated at 10 percent each, but higher ratings are denied.,The Veteran's service-connected alcohol abuse and drug abuse are not found to be secondary to his shin splints.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish a current disability for alcohol or drug abuse during the claims period.
- Claimed conditions
- shin splints, alcohol abuse, drug abuse
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- January 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19102230
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,104 · Granted: 28% (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 19102230.
What this means for you
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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 remanded the claims for shin splints, right knee disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), stomach disability, and left ear hearing loss due to errors in providing notice of the right to a hearing.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress and alcohol abuse, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis and shin splints due to insufficient rationale in the previous VA examination. The case is now pending with a request for a new opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to missing records and a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The claims will be readjudicated after obtaining any necessary records.
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