The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's lumbar disability, finding that it is a separate and distinct condition from his service-connected lumbar strain, and not related to his prior injury.
The deciding factor: The current lumbar disability was caused by a May 2012 work-related injury, which resulted in annular tear and DDD, rather than progression of the service-connected lumbar strain.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine with annular tear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 16, 2018
- Citation
- 18127056
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 18127056.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
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- Denied
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- Denied
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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