The Board denied service connection for lumbar strain as secondary to service-connected disabilities and granted a 30 percent rating for right knee PFS and left knee PFS from August 16, 2011 to April 16, 2019.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the currently diagnosed back disorder was not caused or aggravated by the service-connected disabilities (right and left knee PFS and bilateral pes planus).
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar strain, right knee patellofemoral syndrome (PFS), left knee PFS
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- November 5, 2020
- Citation
- 20071725
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case for further development, including obtaining new medical opinions and examination reports to address the issues of service connection and increased ratings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations and TDIU due to missing records.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral pes planus, lumbar strain, and left knee strain. The initial rating period from March 5, 2024, was denied for allergic rhinitis.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbar strain, finding that the Veteran's current condition had its onset during active service.
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