The Board granted service connection for a lower back disability, left knee strain, bilateral ankle strain, right lower extremity sciatica, and PTSD based on military sexual trauma.
The deciding factor: The evidence established that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's claimed conditions are due to her active duty service or secondary to her now service-connected degenerative disc disease other than IVDS with scoliosis.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease other than intervertebral disc syndrome with scoliosis, Left knee strain, Bilateral ankle strain, Right lower extremity sciatica, Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) based on military sexual trauma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- March 27, 2025
- Citation
- A25028565
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,863 · Granted: 26% (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 A25028565.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine strain, right wrist sprain, right knee strain, left knee strain, and right ankle strain. The disabilities are all deemed to have begun during the Veteran's active duty.
- Denied
The Veteran's VR&E benefits were denied as she did not have an employment handicap and was found to be employable with her current skills, experience, and education. The appeal must be denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral knee strains with shin splints due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. A new VA examination is required to assess the severity of the Veteran's knee disabilities, including during flare-ups.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for degenerative arthritis with lumbosacral strain, left lower extremity sciatica, and right lower extremity sciatica have been dismissed.,The Veteran's TDIU claim has been granted from September 16, 2011.,The Veteran's SMC based on housebound criteria has been granted effective from March 13, 2024.
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