The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back disability, finding that it is at least in equipoise with his claim. The issue of secondary service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability remains pending and will be remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows a current diagnosis of a low back disability and credible lay and medical evidence linking this condition to the Veteran's active military service, including a severe injury during INACDUTRA in 1970. The Board found that the pre-existing mild curvature of the lumbar spine was permanently aggravated by the August 1970 injury, resulting in his current disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Low Back Disability, Acquired Psychiatric Disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19194512
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 19194512.
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 remands the claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, as it needs a medical opinion addressing the nature and etiology of the condition prior to October 16, 2023.
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, a low back disability, a left knee disability, and a left shoulder disability as there was no evidence to support that these conditions were incurred in or caused by the Veteran's military service.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial increased rating of 70 percent for the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, effective from the date of the appeal.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for hypertension is dismissed as the claim has been fully granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, back disability, fatigue, and acquired psychiatric disability are remanded for further development.
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