The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection for lumbar spine DDD and has determined that a nexus exists between the in-service injury and the current disability. The Veteran is now entitled to service connection for lumbar spine DDD and degenerative changes.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence, including a positive October 2014 private medical opinion from Dr. D.M., established a causal relationship between the in-service motorcycle accident and the current lumbar spine disability.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative disc disease (DDD), degenerative changes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 6, 2016
- Citation
- 1618284
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 1618284.
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
The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and DDD, as well as right and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to the now service-connected lumbar spine condition. The decision is based on a finding of relative equipoise in the evidence regarding whether these conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a left knee strain with degenerative changes, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service injury.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine disorder and an incomplete record of chiropractic care. The Veteran is requested to provide or authorize VA to obtain his treatment records from chiropractors, and an addendum opinion will be provided by a VA examiner.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for higher ratings on his lumbar spine disability, right leg radiculopathy, and scars are being remanded due to procedural errors. The VA will need to correct these issues before the claims can be reconsidered.
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