The Veteran's claim for service connection for spondylolysis, claimed as a low back condition is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for an adjustment disorder with anxiety is remanded.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s mental health disability was at least as likely as not caused by his active service. However, the Veteran is not service connected for a back condition, so a separate opinion is needed to address the theory of direct service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- spondylolysis, adjustment disorder with anxiety
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 30, 2020
- Citation
- A20019420
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 A20019420.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that side effects from prescribed medications contributed substantially and materially to his accidental motorcycle collision resulting in fatal injuries.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to deficiencies in the record existing prior to the appealed decision, including inadequate VA examinations and failure to obtain a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) opinion for sleep apnea. The Veteran's representative raised concerns about the adequacy of previous opinions and the need for additional development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error and will consider service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder and adjustment disorder with anxiety.
- Granted
The Veteran's spondylolysis was granted a 40 percent rating from November 25, 2013 to October 26, 2023. The condition resulted in forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine being limited to 20 degrees during use over time.
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