The Board has determined that the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine is related to service, with particular emphasis on the June 2014 Reserve injury and preexisting condition aggravation.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports a finding of aggravation of a pre-existing lumbar disc disease during active duty for training (ACDUTRA) in 2008/09 and an acute injury sustained in the line of duty during Reserve service in June 2014, resulting in current degenerative disc disease.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease of the Lumbosacral Spine
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 24, 2016
- Citation
- 1607155
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 1607155.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, left sciatic radicular pain, and headaches. It also granted an initial rating of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a rating of 30 percent for lipoma of the skin on the back of the head. The claims for increased ratings for right knee strain with shin splints and left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome were denied, as was the claim for an initial compensable rating for allergic rhinitis.
- Denied
The Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine was not productive of forward flexion to 30 degrees or less, and thus a rating in excess of 20 percent is denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable prior to January 19, 2011. The evidence does not substantiate a reasonable possibility that he is unemployable by reason of his service-connected conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for left knee and right knee conditions, as well as an increased rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine. The claims were based on direct evidence rather than a presumption or secondary service connection.
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