The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative changes, lumbar spine, status post lumbar laminectomy with instrumentation has been granted. The Board also found that the Veteran meets the threshold disability rating requirements for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: Service connection was established based on continuity of symptomatology since service and medical evidence linking current back issues to in-service shrapnel injuries. A VA examination confirmed this relationship, supporting the grant of service connection. The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted as he meets the disability rating requirements for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative changes, lumbar spine, left total knee replacement
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 17, 2013
- Citation
- 1341517
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 1341517.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not result in loss of use of the bilateral lower extremities, and therefore he is not entitled to special monthly compensation based on such.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including prostate cancer, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, type II, diabetic nephropathy and end stage renal disease with dialysis, diabetic peripheral neuropathies of various extremities, erectile dysfunction, lumbar spine strain with degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome, and bilateral knee replacements, do not meet the criteria for service connection based on direct evidence or presumptive exposure to herbicide agents. The Board also found that there was no qualifying exposure to toxic environmental exposures during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for bilateral total knee replacements due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset and relation to active service.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's legacy appeals regarding increased ratings for his service-connected bilateral knee and scar issues due to a mistake in classification of the appeal as a legacy appeal instead of an AMA review system.
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