The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection for a back disability other than spina bifida and for tinnitus. However, it has not found new and material evidence to support his claim of service connection for spina bifida. The rating for tinnitus remains at 10%.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the submitted evidence did not provide sufficient new and material evidence to reopen the claims for service connection for spina bifida, but it found new and material evidence to support reopening the claim for a back disability other than spina bifida. The rating for tinnitus remains at 10%.
- Claimed conditions
- spina bifida, back disability other than spina bifida
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- March 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19116396
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,350 · Granted: 26% (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 19116396.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The claim for benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1805 for a child born with spina bifida is denied because no new and relevant evidence has been submitted to support the claim.
- Denied
The Board denied benefits for spina bifida and other covered birth defects because the Appellant does not have a diagnosis of spina bifida, her mother is not a Vietnam Veteran, and there is no legal basis to grant benefits.
- Denied
The Veteran's service in Vietnam did not qualify the Appellant for benefits due to spina bifida or other covered birth defects, as her mother is not a Vietnam Veteran.
- Denied
The Board denied benefits for spina bifida and other covered birth defects because the Appellant does not have a diagnosis of spina bifida, his mother is not a Vietnam Veteran, and there is no legal basis to grant the claim.
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