The Board has determined that the Veteran's thoracolumbar and cervical spine disabilities are service-connected as they arose from in-service injuries, including combat operations.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's current spinal conditions are attributable to his military service, particularly his participation in combat operations which caused him to sustain back injuries during active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracolumbar spine disabilities, cervical spine disabilities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 14, 2019
- Citation
- 19118560
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 940 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19118560.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine disabilities, including degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), are related to her active duty service.,The Veteran's bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy is the result of her now service-connected cervical spine disabilities. The Veteran's migraine headaches are being remanded for further evaluation.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple disabilities, including cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, radiculopathies, a bladder disability, headaches, a left knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and bilateral conjunctivitis. The Board also granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to errors in duty to assist and insufficient evidence regarding the onset of neck disability during service. The Veteran's claim for service connection is now pending, with a VA examination required.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine, thoracic and lumbar spine, migraine headaches associated with TBI, and C-section scar disabilities have been granted service connection. The Veteran is assigned a 50% rating for migraines associated with TBI, but the C-section scar remains at noncompensable.
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