The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lower spine, left knee meniscal tear, and right hip strain as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left great toe fracture residuals with degenerative joint disease and hallux rigidus.
The deciding factor: The evidence is in approximate balance regarding whether the claimed disabilities are caused or aggravated by the service-connected left great toe disability, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the lower spine, Left knee meniscal tear, Right hip strain
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 22, 2025
- Citation
- A25036820
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 a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, as the evidence did not show that his service-connected disabilities alone were of such nature and severity to preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for plantar fasciitis on the right and left foot, left and right ankle strain, left and right knee osteoarthritis, and left and right hip strain, all secondary to service-connected back and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities with weight gain/obesity as an intermediate step.
- Denied
The Board denied increased evaluations for the Veteran's service-connected conditions, finding that the current ratings accurately reflect the severity of his disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for coronary artery disease as secondary to sleep apnea and denied the other claims on appeal.
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.