The Veteran has been granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and residuals of shell fragment wounds to his left testes. The Board found that there was an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding whether these conditions are related to service, placing the benefit of doubt in favor of the Veteran.,Service connection has also been granted for residuals of shell fragment wounds to the head and face, but not for the upper arm as no current disability was found.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that there is an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current disabilities are related to service. The benefit of doubt has been resolved in favor of the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the Lumbar Spine, Residuals of Shell Fragment Wound to Left Testes, Residuals of Shell Fragment Wound to Head and Face, Residuals of Shell Fragment Wound to Left Upper Arm
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 26, 2018
- Citation
- 1805419
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 1805419.
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 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a back disability due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding VA's failure to provide the Veteran with a VA examination prior to the rating decision.
- Granted
The Board granted a 50 percent rating for the Veteran's migraine headaches based on prostrating attacks occurring more than once a month and severe economic inadaptability.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for special monthly compensation based on loss of use of his left foot, as there was no evidence showing that the service-connected conditions resulted in functional limitation equal to that of amputation of the left foot with prosthesis.
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.