The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for recurrent lumbar strain. However, the claim for arthritis of the spine was denied as there is no evidence that it manifested during or within one year after service and is not related to his service-connected lumbar strain.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no relationship between the Veteran’s now service-connected lumbar strain and low back arthritis, thus denying service connection for arthritis of the spine.
- Claimed conditions
- recurrent lumbar strain, arthritis of the spine (including degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19179248
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,836 · Granted: 31% (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 19179248.
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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The Board has remanded the case due to errors in the decision and a need for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a clinician.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including recurrent lumbar strain, sciatic radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, femoral radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, and left knee strain, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment for one year prior to January 14, 2016. The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for this period.
- Granted
The Veteran's spondylosis cervical spine, recurrent lumbar strain, right knee instability, and left knee limitation of motion have been granted service connection. The Veteran has also received a TDIU rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of recurrent lumbar strain, residuals of right knee surgery, and recurrent synovitis of the left ankle have been remanded.,Issues related to PTSD, TDIU, service connection for lumbar strain, right knee surgery, and recurrent synovitis of the left ankle are also being remanded.
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