The Veteran's low back disabilities, diagnosed as a lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease, and intervertebral disc disease, are granted based on aggravation of a pre-existing disability.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, is granted due to in-service exposure to toxic chemicals.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's pre-existing low back disability worsened during active duty and the evidence does not show that it was clearly and unmistakably due to its natural progression. The VA examiner’s opinion regarding aggravation of the pre-existing condition is rebutted by other evidence in the record.
- Claimed conditions
- Low Back Disabilities (Lumbosacral Strain with Degenerative Arthritis, Degenerative Disc Disease, and Intervertebral Disc Disease), Diabetes Mellitus, Type II
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 13, 2020
- Citation
- 20065985
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,316 · Granted: 43% (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 20065985.
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
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- Granted
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