The Veteran's claim is granted as the medical expenses incurred for emergency room services at Carondelet Holy Cross on April 23, 2013 are authorized and reimbursable due to a service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: The Veteran had persistent lower back pain that was not relieved by his routine pain medications. He sought treatment from a private hospital's emergency room because he experienced numbness in his legs which the VA registered nurse advised him to seek immediate medical attention for, as it could indicate an emergency condition such as nerve damage.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative disc disease L4-L5, left knee chondromalacia, left hip strain (limitation of flexion), right hip strain (limitation of flexion), adjustment disorder with depressed mood
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 19, 2015
- Citation
- 1521385
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 1521385.
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.
- Granted
This decision grants service connection for erectile dysfunction and assigns a noncompensable rating, effective November 6, 2020. The Veteran's adjustment disorder with depressed mood is granted as service-connected, also effective November 6, 2020. An effective date prior to November 6, 2020, is denied for the award of service connection for GERD and right lower extremity radiculopathy.,An effective date prior to November 6, 2020, is denied for the award of service connection for GERD and right lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was due to his service-connected adjustment disorder with depressed mood, which contributed substantially or materially to his death. Therefore, service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's initial compensable rating for adjustment disorder with depressed mood is denied, and the claim for service connection for a bilateral foot condition is remanded due to lack of a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and has remanded the claims for hypertension, left knee disability, and right knee disability due to duty to assist errors.
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