The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with the exception of right foot drop. The rating for residuals of transverse process fractures at T-12, L1, L3, and L4, with herniated nucleus pulposus at L5-S1, has been increased to 60 percent from December 1, 2014.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is etiologically related to service. His avascular necrosis of the left hip and sciatica/radiculopathy are secondary to his service-connected residuals of transverse process fractures at T-12, L1, L3, and L4, with herniated nucleus pulposus at L5-S1.
- Claimed conditions
- persistent depressive disorder, meniscal tear, right knee, meniscal tear, left knee, sciatica/radiculopathy, right lower extremity, strain with osteoarthritis, right hip, right foot drop
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- February 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19110115
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,548 · Granted: 31% (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 19110115.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's service connection for other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder with persistent depressive disorder, anxious distress, and pure dysthymic syndrome was granted. The appeal for PTSD is dismissed as moot because the issue has been rendered irrelevant by the grant of service connection in another appeal stream.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's persistent depressive disorder, moderate with anxious distress and panic attacks is related to his service in the Republic of Vietnam. The decision grants service connection for this condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him so helpless as to require the regular aid and attendance of another person, but his service-connected persistent depressive disorder alone rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted SMC at the housebound rate.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and persistent depressive disorder. The Veteran's current disability is found to be at least as likely as not due to the in-service event of his father's death.
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