The Veteran's claim for service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability, right knee strain, and left knee strain has been granted. The claims for increased ratings for the knees have been remanded.
The deciding factor: New evidence was submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability, which is now granted based on the medical opinion linking it to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Thoracic spine disability, Degenerative disc disease in the lower lumbar spine, Spondylosis in the lower thoracic spine, Sciatic nerve pain of the bilateral lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 11, 2020
- Citation
- 20032741
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 20032741.
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 denied service connection for memory loss disability, cervical spine disability, and thoracic spine disability. The case is remanded to obtain medical opinions regarding the relationship between these disabilities and service or any related conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a thoracic spine disability but denied it for a lumbar spine disability, claimed as displacement of the lumbar disc with degenerative disc disease and intervertebral disc syndrome.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, dismissed the claim for a thoracic spine disability, and granted service connection for right knee strain, left knee strain and meniscal tear, left hip strain as secondary to a service-connected thoracolumbar lumbar spine disorder, and a generalized anxiety disorder and other specified depressive disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for lumbar and thoracic spine disabilities due to a lack of adequate medical evidence linking these conditions to service or a service-connected disability.
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