The Veteran's claims for secondary service connection are remanded as the VA examiners did not adequately address whether her current disabilities were caused or aggravated by her service-connected left ankle disability.,The Veteran is seeking to establish that her cervical spine, right hip, bilateral knee, and right leg (claimed as leg length inequality) disabilities are related to her service-connected left ankle disability. The Board finds the VA examiners' opinions inadequate in this regard.
The deciding factor: VA examiners did not provide sufficient rationale for their opinions regarding whether the Veteran's current disabilities were caused or aggravated by her service-connected left ankle disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Knee Disability, Cervical Spine Disability, Left Ankle Disability, Right Hip Disability, Right Leg Disability (Leg Length Inequality)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19111153
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,088 · Granted: 33% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19111153.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine disability, right knee strain (painful motion), and right knee instability are now rated at 30 percent effective August 16, 2017.
- 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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for TMD, cervical spine disability, and FSAD have been denied.,An earlier effective date prior to August 2, 2022, for the award of service connection for these conditions has also been denied.
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.