The Board has granted service connection for intervertebral disc syndrome of the thoracolumbar spine, finding that it is due to active service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the Veteran's back injury was related to his military service and provided ample opportunities to injure his low back multiple times during heavy equipment movement and routine duties.
- Claimed conditions
- intervertebral disc syndrome, lower back condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 30, 2020
- Citation
- A20019415
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 A20019415.
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 predecisional duty-to-assist errors, including inadequate medical opinions and missed VA examinations. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition is being returned to the RO for further action.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for both a lower back condition and a cervical spine condition, finding that the evidence did not support a nexus between these conditions and service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for intervertebral disc syndrome and left lower extremity radiculopathy were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lower back condition, including thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease other than IVDS. The decision finds that the Veteran's current disability is causally related to his military service due to an accident during training in 1963.
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