The Veteran's back brace did not cause wear and tear to his clothing, so he is denied an annual clothing allowance for the 2016 calendar year.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s back brace was determined by VHA not to be the type that causes wear and tear to clothing, and a VA orthotist-prosthetist found it would not damage his clothing due to its design, construction, and function.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19127178
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease due to a duty to assist error.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and found that new and relevant evidence had not been received to readjudicate the claims for left and right lower extremity stent placements in femoral arteries.
- Dismissed
The appeals for higher ratings of thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease and cervical spine degenerative joint disease were dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased disability rating for the veteran's service-connected thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease, finding that the criteria for a higher rating were not met.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.