The Board has granted service connection for a back disorder, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his military service. The lung disorders are not considered service-connected due to lack of evidence supporting their onset during service.,Regarding the renal disorder claim (38 U.S.C. § 1151), no decision was made as this issue was addressed in a separate REMAND.
The deciding factor: The June 2015 VA examination found that the Veteran's current back condition is related to his military service, specifically noting repetitive strain injuries during service which produced chronic postural changes. The lung disorders are less likely than not incurred due to asbestos exposure in service as there was no definitive evidence provided.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative changes and strain of the lumbar spine, Interstitial lung disease (including asbestosis)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 28, 2017
- Citation
- 1760689
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 1760689.
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 changes and strain of the lumbar spine, finding that it is etiologically related to the Veteran's in-service injury during basic training.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for degenerative changes and strain of the lumbar spine from September 1, 2003 to August 3, 2008, but granted a 40 percent rating effective August 4, 2008. The Board also denied an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for postoperative residuals of an injury of the right quadriceps tendon.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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