The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for a lumbar spine disability. The Board finds that there is sufficient medical and lay evidence to raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the underlying claim, linking the current lumbar spine disability to the in-service injury during World War II.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided by private and VA physicians support the Veteran's contention that his current lumbar spine disability with resulting paraplegia is linked to the May 1945 injury sustained during military service, including a jump from an aircraft wing while piloting a bomber. The lay statement from a fellow service member also supports this claim.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disability
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2009
- Citation
- 0944320
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 0944320.
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 a lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for miscarriage, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and right elbow disability due to insufficient examination opinions and incomplete service history verification.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as these issues have been addressed in a separate docket.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. Service connection is being remanded for the lumbar spine disability and right knee and calf disabilities.
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