The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for service connection for left ankle sprain and right knee pain (shin splints) was granted. The claim for service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease is also granted.,Claims for service connection for hallux disability of the right foot, disability affecting the head of the metatarsal right big toe, left knee disability, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension were denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current diagnoses include degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with radiculopathy to the buttocks. The VA examiner concluded that there was a lack of post-service continuity but did not comment on the June 1990 diagnosis of mild degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.,The Veteran has not provided any evidence of current disability for hallux disability of the right foot, disability affecting the head of the metatarsal right big toe, left knee disability, diabetes mellitus type II, or hypertension.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle sprain, right knee pain, shin splints, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease (lumbar spine disability), hallux disability of the right foot, disability affecting the head of the metatarsal right big toe, left knee disability, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 28, 2019
- Citation
- 19150646
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,429 · Granted: 29% (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 19150646.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
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.