The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for IBS, finding new and material evidence that supports a secondary theory of entitlement. The lumbar spine disability claim remains denied.,The IBS claim was granted on a secondary basis to PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder.
The deciding factor: New evidence provided by the Veteran during his hearing suggests a possible secondary relationship between IBS and service-connected PTSD, which is sufficient to reopen the claim for service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disability, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2018
- Citation
- 18139535
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 18139535.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and a muscle condition due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, as the Veteran did not receive notice of scheduled VA examinations.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right knee, right hip, and lumbar spine disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability but denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for his left knee disability prior to April 25, 2019.
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