The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain or other low back disability and assigned a 30 percent rating. The claim of service connection for residuals of head injury was resolved, and the issue of increased psychiatric rating based on organic brain disorder with alcohol dependence is addressed in the remand portion.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is at least as likely as not that lumbar spine degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease began during active service.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain, degenerative joint disease, degenerative disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- October 21, 2003
- Citation
- 0328238
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 0328238.
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 granted service connection for lumbosacral strain and lumbar radicopathy, right side, secondary to the lumbosacral strain.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, finding that the Veteran's low back injury occurred during a period of active duty for training (ADT) and continued therefrom.
- Dismissed
The appeals for restoration of ratings and for a higher disability rating were dismissed as the April 2025 rating decision did not make final decisions on these issues.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, with the exception of remanding certain issues.
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