The Veteran's current back disability is related to his active duty service and the Board has granted service connection for segment dysfunction and degenerative changes of the thoracic and lumbar spine.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence, including both VA and private opinions, supports a finding that the Veteran's current back disability is related to his in-service injury and symptomatology.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar/thoracic dysfunction, back muscle spasms, mild degenerative disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- May 18, 2015
- Citation
- 1521119
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 1521119.
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 decided to remand the claims of service connection for right and left knee conditions, as well as mild degenerative disc disease due to the need for a new VA medical opinion regarding causation.
- Granted
The Veteran's lumbar spine disabilities, including IVDS and degenerative disc disease, are rated at 20 percent. A separate 10 percent rating is granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for back muscle spasms was withdrawn by the appellant.,Service connection for fluid retention and sleep apnea, both claimed as due to herbicide exposure, is denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to these conditions.,An increased rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus type II (DMII) is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that a third remand is necessary to obtain an adequate VA examination regarding the Veteran's claimed back muscle spasms, as the previous opinions were not responsive to the Board's instructions.
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