The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for chronic low back strain and finds that new and material evidence has been submitted. The Board also finds that the current low back disability is related to service, including both military service and a post-service injury.
The deciding factor: Private medical opinions provided by two physicians indicate that the veteran's current low back disability is related to his military service, including an injury during active duty for training (ACDUTRA) in 1973. The Board applied the benefit of the doubt doctrine and found that the evidence was at least in equipoise as to whether the disability is related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic low back strain
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2007
- Citation
- 0700214
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 0700214.
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.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew the appeal for effective dates prior to September 27, 2024, for the awards of service connection for various knee and back conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from April 29, 2018.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for a lower back disability and remanded claims for a higher rating, TDIU, and extraschedular consideration.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating and earlier effective date of service connection for his back disability was partially granted, with a 40 percent disability rating assigned from May 10, 2010. The claim for an earlier effective date was denied.
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