The claim for service connection for post nasal drip is dismissed. The application to reopen the claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder is granted, but the matter of whether it is secondary to service-connected knee and foot disabilities remains pending.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder may be related to her service-connected knee and/or foot disabilities due to abnormal gait caused by these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Post nasal drip, Lumbar spine disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 27, 2019
- Citation
- 19166288
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 122 · Granted: 24% (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 19166288.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine disorder is rated at 20% since July 1, 2022. The lumbar spine disorder was initially granted a 20% rating from September 1, 2022 to October 19, 2022 and then denied any higher ratings thereafter.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection of lumbar spine, right knee, left knee, and hypertension disorders. The Board dismissed the appeals as a result.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to July 25, 2016 for the award of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The Board found that there was no factually ascertainable increase in disability within one year prior to September 18, 2015, and thus did not warrant a TDIU.
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.