The Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar degenerative disc and joint disease is granted, as the evidence shows that his disability had its onset during active duty.
The deciding factor: Service treatment records show the Veteran was diagnosed with a chronic lumbar spine sprain in-service, and he reported ongoing back pain since then. The Board found this sufficient to establish service connection due to the onset of the condition during active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar degenerative disc and joint disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19129935
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 3,217 · Granted: 46% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19129935.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board denied the veteran's attempts to appeal rating decisions due to untimeliness of the appeals.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The appeal for service connection of a neck condition was dismissed. The veteran's rating for thoracic strain, lumbar degenerative disc and joint disease, and stenosis was restored to 40 percent. A 10 percent rating for bursitis in the right hip was granted. The claim for sleep apnea was remanded.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's lumbar degenerative disc and joint disease is rated at 20 percent, the maximum schedular rating for this condition. The ratings for his right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy are denied.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar degenerative disc and joint disease as secondary to his service-connected left foot pes planus with left foot scattered osteoarthritis, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
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