The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for degenerative discs of the back (claimed as a back disability). The Veteran's current claim was denied in August 1977, but with the submission of additional medical evidence, including private treatment records and VA examination reports, the Board finds that new and material evidence has been presented. As such, the claim is reopened.
The deciding factor: The submitted evidence includes private treatment records showing a current diagnosis of degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and a VA examination report confirming this condition. The Veteran's statements also support his contention that he sustained an in-service injury leading to ongoing back problems. This new evidence, when combined with previous evidence, raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim for service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative discs of the back
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 13, 2014
- Citation
- 1426867
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 1426867.
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
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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