The Board has granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine and a kidney disorder, finding that both conditions are related to service. The veteran is also awarded a 10% evaluation for his pilonidal cyst from June 21, 1996.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence established chronic back pain during service and continuity of symptoms post-service, leading to the conclusion that degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine was incurred in service. The kidney disorder claim was denied as there was no competent objective evidence linking it to the service-connected shell fragment wound.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, Kidney disorder (claimed as secondary to service connected shell fragment wound)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- January 7, 2000
- Citation
- 0000499
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 0000499.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for increased initial evaluations of degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, left shoulder strain with degenerative arthritis, and right shoulder degenerative arthritis due to inadequate VA examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation (SMC) for the period from August 29, 2014, to June 16, 2019.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, right and left lower extremity neurological disorders, and right and left hip disabilities as they were not shown to be caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service or a service-connected disability.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial evaluation of 20 percent for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine prior to December 28, 2010, and denied a rating in excess of 40 percent as of that date.
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