The Veteran's claim to reopen the service connection for a spine disability is granted. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion.
The deciding factor: New evidence has been submitted that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim, but the Board finds the existing medical opinions inadequate and requires additional examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's spine disability.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative joint disease, degenerative disk disease
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19148928
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,863 · Granted: 26% (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 19148928.
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 remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete service treatment records and a need to address lay statements regarding in-service injuries. The AOJ is instructed to obtain complete service treatment records, correct any duty-to-assist errors, and provide an addendum opinion on whether the Veteran's current lumbar spine and right knee disabilities are related to heavy, repetitive lifting from his military duties.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for IBS, lumbar spine disability, and lower extremity radiculopathy due to a procedural error in providing notice of his right to a hearing.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar strain to include thoracolumbar and lumbosacral strain, cervical spine condition, spondylosis, degenerative disk disease, and radiculopathy (spine disabilities). The Board found that these conditions are related to the Veteran's injury during his active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there are errors in the decision-making process related to obtaining and considering certain medical records, conducting appropriate examinations, and providing a comprehensive assessment of the Veteran's employability due to his service-connected disabilities. The case is being remanded for these issues.
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