The Board has granted service connection for degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, finding that the Veteran's current disability is as likely as not attributable to his active military service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's competent and credible lay statements regarding continued back pain since service were not adequately addressed by the VA examiner in determining there was no nexus between the Veteran’s current lumbar spine degenerative disc disease disability and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease (DDD) and Degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 19, 2020
- Citation
- 20013148
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 20013148.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability is granted, and the case is remanded to obtain an adequate nexus opinion.
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- Denied
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- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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