The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of injury to the lumbar spine, including arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome, is granted as his current condition is found to be at least as likely as not caused by an inservice fall.
The deciding factor: A VA physician provided an informed opinion linking the Veteran's currently shown low back disabilities (arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome) to a fall during service.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of injury to the lumbar spine, arthritis, intervertebral disc syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 1, 2016
- Citation
- 1621923
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 1621923.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and entitlement to DIC due to a failure to obtain a medical opinion prior to the rating decision on appeal regarding whether the Veteran's arthritis was related to his period of active service, and if so, whether it contributed to his death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to predecisional duty-to-assist errors, including inadequate medical opinions and missed VA examinations. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition is being returned to the RO for further action.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for intervertebral disc syndrome and left lower extremity radiculopathy were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent.
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