The Board has determined that the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine DDD and DJD, as well as his LLE radiculopathy, are related to his service. Reasonable doubt has been resolved in favor of the Veteran.
The deciding factor: Both VA and private medical opinions supported a nexus between the Veteran's service and his current conditions, with the private physician providing specific reasoning based on the rigorous physical demands of his MOS as a field radio operator.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracolumbar spine DDD and DJD, LLE radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 18, 2017
- Citation
- 1733924
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 1733924.
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 degenerative arthritis of the back and right ankle, but denied service connection for LLE radiculopathy and plantar fasciitis.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right lower extremity and left lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of moderate symptoms.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbar condition, left knee condition, LLE radiculopathy as secondary to service-connected lumbar condition, RLE radiculopathy as secondary to service-connected lumbar condition, and OSA as secondary to service-connected diabetes and orthopedic conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right lower extremity and left lower extremity radiculopathy due to a lack of current diagnosis or functional impairment related to the Veteran's reported symptoms.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.