The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back disability, including arthritis of the lumbar spine, is related to his service-connected gunshot wound injury in Korea. The Board finds that there is at least equipoise evidence showing a continuous relationship between the 1950 gunshot wound and the Veteran's current low back condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's symptoms of degenerative changes in his low back have been continuous since the documented in-service gunshot wound, which exited through the back.
- Claimed conditions
- Low Back Disability, Arthritis of the Lumbar Spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- January 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19102028
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 claims for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, a low back disability, a left knee disability, and a left shoulder disability as there was no evidence to support that these conditions were incurred in or caused by the Veteran's military service.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for sinusitis, bronchitis, liver abscess, abdominal aorta, left and right hamstring disabilities. The Board granted an increased disability rating of 40 percent for right upper extremity radiculopathy but denied all other claims.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial rating higher than 70 percent for PTSD and remanded several service connection claims, including dyspnea, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, low back disability, and right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve.
- Dismissed
The appeal for an initial compensable rating for GERD was withdrawn, and the claims for service connection for a low back disability, bilateral ankle disability, bilateral knee disability, and right knee disability were denied.
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