The Board finds that the Veteran's low back and neck disabilities are service-connected as they were incurred during his active military service.,The VA examiner provided multiple addendums to the November 2012 examination, concluding that the Veteran's current diagnoses of DDD of the low back and osteoarthritis of the neck are not related to his in-service activities.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found no evidence linking the Veteran's current diagnoses to his service, despite acknowledging the presence of in-service pain complaints. They concluded that the disabilities were more likely due to aging and everyday wear and tear over the years.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the low back, Osteoarthritis of the neck
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 2, 2016
- Citation
- 1603479
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 1603479.
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 Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability has been reopened, but the Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of his condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 70 percent, but no higher, for PTSD prior to May 18, 2012 is granted. The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have caused occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for DDD of the low back, service connection for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to service-connected back disorder, and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression and bipolar disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service treatment records and a need for further examination regarding the etiology of the Veteran's low back disability.
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