The Board has granted service connection for low back disorder, diagnosed as spondylolisthesis, spondylosis, disc disease, and diffuse degenerative joint disease. The right lower extremity radiculopathy is also considered service-connected.,Service connection was denied for bilateral flat feet due to lack of aggravation during military service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's low back disorder and right lower extremity radiculopathy are found to be related to his active duty service, with the VA examiner finding that these conditions were likely caused by repetitive daily stress on his spine while in service. The private osteopathic physician provided a positive nexus opinion supporting this conclusion.,Service connection for bilateral flat feet was denied as there is no clear evidence of aggravation during military service.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disorder (spondylolisthesis, spondylosis, disc disease, diffuse degenerative joint disease), right lower extremity radiculopathy, bilateral flat feet
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19180386
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,316 · Granted: 43% (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 19180386.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The issues related to service connection for various conditions and disability ratings.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Granted
The Board has granted earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for middle and index trigger finger/stenosing tenosynovitis of the right hand, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The earliest effective date is June 30, 2012, for the right hand condition and April 22, 2016, for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and DDD, as well as right and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to the now service-connected lumbar spine condition. The decision is based on a finding of relative equipoise in the evidence regarding whether these conditions are related to service.
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