The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition is reopened, and the Board remands the case to determine if his back condition is aggravated by his service-connected knee disability. The case also remains in remand status for consideration of an increased rating for chondromalacia of the left knee.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that it was less likely than not that the Veteran's back condition was caused by his service-connected knee condition, but did not address whether the knee disability could have aggravated the back condition. The Board therefore remands to obtain an addendum opinion from the same or another appropriate examiner.
- Claimed conditions
- back condition, chondromalacia of the knees
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19186292
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 19186292.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition, finding no evidence of a nexus between the in-service incident and the current disability.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a back condition, finding that the evidence does not support a causal relationship between the Veteran's current back disability and his active-duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including a back condition, right and left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, neck condition, upper extremity radiculopathy, bilateral flatfoot, right foot plantar fasciitis, and right ankle pain, as the current evidence is inadequate to make a decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for back, left wrist, left and right knee, and left and right shoulder conditions due to missing personnel records and an inadequate VA medical opinion.
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.