The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder is service-connected, and his claim for a psychiatric disorder was granted based on new evidence. The effective date of these decisions will be determined by VA.
The deciding factor: The Veteran provided credible statements regarding continuous symptomatology since service, which supported the grant of service connection for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine. For the psychiatric disorder, the Board found that there is a link between his in-service stress and sadness and his current diagnosis of major depression.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative changes of the lumbar spine, Acquired psychiatric disorder (major depression)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 10, 2014
- Citation
- 1449825
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 1449825.
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 has remanded the claim of service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability, finding that the VA examination and opinion were inadequate as they did not consider the Veteran's complete medical history. The case is now to be reviewed with an addendum VA opinion.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that his current diagnosis is related to his military service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed because the Board Appeal request was not timely filed with respect to the June 14, 2023 rating decision that decreased the rating for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine to 20 percent effective September 1, 2023.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and an acquired psychiatric disability, but remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus.
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