The Board has granted service connection for degenerative disc and joint disease of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spines, finding that these conditions are at least as likely as not related to an in-service jump from a helicopter during combat.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current spine conditions are presumed service-connected due to his participation in combat operations where he jumped from helicopters, resulting in injuries to his neck and back. The Board found the evidence consistent with combat service and granted service connection under the relaxed evidentiary standard of 38 U.S.C. § 1154(b).
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc and joint disease of cervical spine C6-C3, Degenerative disc and joint disease of thoracic spine T4-T11, to include thoracic spondylosis without myelopathy, Degenerative disc and joint disease of lumbar spine L5, to include degeneration of lumbar or lumbosacral intervertebral disc
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19136527
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,451 · Granted: 22% (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 19136527.
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
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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