The Board has determined that the Veteran's back strain is related to his active duty service and grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.
The deciding factor: The evidence, including the Veteran's lay statements of continuity of symptoms since service, outweighs the VA examiner's opinion against a nexus between the current disability and service.
- Claimed conditions
- back strain, degenerative joint disease (DJD), a herniated or displaced disk
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 8, 2016
- Citation
- 1609320
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1609320.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for entitlement to TDIU and denied his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, back strain, bilateral knee disabilities, and bilateral ankle disabilities. The claims of service connection for these conditions are remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied service connection for TBI, back strain, chest pain, foot pain, and tendonitis as there is no evidence of disease or injury incurred during active duty or training.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and has remanded the remaining issues due to a duty-to-assist error.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeal as the appellant requested withdrawal of the appeal.
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