The Board found that the evidence is in equipoise, supporting a finding that the Veteran's currently diagnosed low back disability is etiologically related to service. Service connection for this condition has been granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran reported experiencing chronic low back pain during service and continued to experience similar symptoms post-service, which was supported by medical records showing degenerative changes in his lumbar spine. The Board found the evidence equally balanced regarding whether the current disability is related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral spine strain (low back disability)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 5, 2017
- Citation
- 1715235
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 1715235.
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
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's low back disability is granted as service connected.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Board has found that the Veteran's left and right lower extremity sciatica are not related to his service-connected low back disability, and thus these issues are remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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