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Granted

The Veteran's service connection claims for herniated disc, lumbar spine and thoracic spine degenerative arthritis, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, left shoulder degenerative arthritis and rotator cuff tear, bilateral ankle disability, and left flatfoot (pes planus) have all been granted. The initial ratings are 10% for rib pain status post fracture, with no higher.

The deciding factor: The Veteran's service records show multiple instances of back pain during active duty, which is considered a plausible basis for current degenerative arthritis and radiculopathy diagnoses.

Claimed conditions
Bilateral ankle disability, Bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, Degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and thoracic spine, Herniated disc, Left flatfoot (pes planus), Left shoulder degenerative arthritis and rotator cuff tear
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
May 10, 2019
Citation
19136097

Veterans Law Judge

Jonathan Hager

Decisions by this judge: 2,604 · Granted: 65% (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 19136097.

What this means for you

A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.

What you can do next

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