The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar facet arthropathy, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the condition is related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the Veteran's lay statements regarding continuous back pain symptoms both in and since separation from service, which were found to be credible given his duties and activities performed in-service.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar facet arthropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 23, 2019
- Citation
- 19196040
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,604 · Granted: 65% (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 19196040.
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 decided to remand the case due to incomplete medical records and a need for an updated VA medical opinion regarding the Veteran's back disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to inadequate examinations, including those related to his lumbar spine and right leg sciatica. The claims are being returned for further examination and opinion.
- Partly granted
The claim for service connection for lumbar facet arthropathy can be readjudicated due to new evidence, but the claim for degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome, lumbar facet arthropathy, and low back pain is denied.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability, diagnosed as lumbar spondylosis, degenerative disc disease, and lumbar facet arthropathy, is related to service. Service connection for this condition is granted.
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