The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's back condition, bilateral lumbar neuropathy sciatic nerve condition as secondary to his back condition, right hip degenerative joint disease, and left hip degenerative joint disease. The decision is based on medical evidence that supports a finding of in-service injury and current disability related to service.
The deciding factor: The Board found the Veteran's statements regarding his in-service injuries credible and supported by contemporaneous letters from his fiancé during service. Medical opinions were also provided, with some indicating an accelerated onset of degenerative joint disease due to physical training and impact, while others concluded that the conditions are related to natural aging processes.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease (back condition), Bilateral lumbar neuropathy sciatic nerve condition, Right hip degenerative joint disease (right hip condition), Left hip degenerative joint disease (left hip condition)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2020
- Citation
- A20015594
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,762 · Granted: 24% (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 A20015594.
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 a higher rating for the Veteran's back condition and an earlier effective date for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's back condition is rated at 20% and his left hip condition, secondary to the back condition, remains unresolved. The case is remanded for further evaluation.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.