The Board has granted the Veteran's application to reopen his claim of service connection for a low back disability, finding that new and material evidence supports a relationship between the Veteran's current condition and an injury during ACDUTRA service. Service connection is granted.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided since the final denial suggest that the Veteran’s low back disability may be due to an injury sustained during his active duty for training (ACDUTRA) service, specifically a parachute jump in January 1971 which caused trauma to the lumbar spine.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20065356
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 service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment, thus granting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, finding a positive nexus to the Veteran's active duty service.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal of proposed rating reductions for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and radiculopathy, left lower extremity, due to procedural defects in the Veteran's notice of disagreement. The issue regarding a compensable rating for migraine headaches was remanded.
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