The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that these conditions are secondary to his service-connected left knee and left ankle disabilities.
The deciding factor: The private medical opinion concluded that the Veteran’s spine disability is more likely than not related to or aggravated by his service-connected left knee and left ankle disabilities, which led to changes in gait and increased wear and tear on the lumbar spine.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disability (now claimed as lumbar spine condition to include Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) at L4-L5, L5-S1), left lower extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19191428
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 19191428.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection and granted initial 40 percent ratings for left upper extremity CTS, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation (SMC) housebound status, but dismissed the claims for initial ratings in excess of 40 percent for lumbosacral spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Partly granted
The Board granted initial disability ratings of 40 percent for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy, a 20 percent rating for lumbar spine disability, denied an increased rating for obstructive sleep apnea with asthma, granted TDIU from May 7, 2021, and SMC from September 10, 2021.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and earlier effective dates as there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between his current conditions and his active military service.
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