The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current lumbar disc herniation at L5-S1 is etiologically related to service, and thus grants the claim for service connection.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions presented are conflicting, but all agree that the in-service injury precipitated the current disability. The Board resolves this doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar disc herniation at L5-S1
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 30, 2011
- Citation
- 1112712
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 1112712.
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 remanded the claims for service connection for a left knee injury and migraine headaches due to inadequate VA medical opinions, while denying readjudication of the propriety of severance of service connection for lumbar disc herniation at L5-S1 as new and relevant evidence was not submitted.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 40 percent, effective December 2, 2020. His sciatica of the left lower extremity is rated at 40 percent, effective October 9, 2015. His radiculopathy of the right lower extremity is rated at 20 percent, effective December 3, 2020.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim of a higher rating for his service-connected lumbar disc herniation at L5-S1, status-post hemilaminectomy, microdiskectomy, and foraminotomy with degenerative disc disease is being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining medical records and re-examining him.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a new VA examination and additional development of the Veteran's treatment records.
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