The Board has granted the Veteran's claim to reopen his previously denied service connection for a low back disability, and has also granted service connection for this condition. The evidence shows that the Veteran experienced symptoms of back pain during military service in Vietnam, including jumping from helicopters at heights up to 10 feet above ground level while carrying heavy packs.
The deciding factor: The Board found the Veteran's lay statements regarding his in-service injuries and symptoms credible, and considered them along with medical opinions linking his current condition to his service. The Board also noted that the VA examiners' negative nexus opinions were not supported by adequate rationale or consideration of other evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disability, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 27, 2018
- Citation
- 18153197
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 18153197.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that remand is needed for the Veteran's claims due to duty to assist errors, including clarification of periods of service and obtaining relevant records. The Veteran will be afforded new medical examinations for each claimed disability.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating, compensable rating, and extension of temporary total evaluation for his lumbar spine disability have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing all claims in April 2022.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, including degenerative arthritis and IVDS. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service injury during active duty and his continuous symptoms since then.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims of right shoulder disability and low back disability due to insufficient evidence.
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