The Veteran's service connection claim for a low back disability is granted. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bruxism, status post TMJ, before March 14, 2019, is denied. The Veteran's claims for service connection for a neck disability and bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy are remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran had a current diagnosis of spinal stenosis and degenerative disc disease of the low back, which developed in service and has persisted since then. The VA examinations conducted during the claim period adequately captured the functional impairment associated with the disability, including pain, contributing to the interincisal range measurement used for rating purposes.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disability, neck disability, bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19162919
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 19162919.
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 service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities to the AOJ for further development and consideration of evidence not previously considered.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including right shoulder arthritis, left shoulder arthritis, right hip condition, left hip condition, low back disability, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, as there was no evidence of in-service injury or illness related to these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
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