The Veteran's arthritis of the lumbar spine was found to have manifested within a year of his final period of active duty, and service connection is granted. The claims for PTSD, major depressive disorder, diverticulitis, right kidney cyst, GERD, right foot disability, and left foot disability are remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's arthritis of the lumbar spine manifested within a year of his final period of active duty, meeting the criteria for service connection under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(a). The other claims require additional development to determine their merits.
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis of the lumbar spine, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder, diverticulitis, right kidney cyst, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a right foot disability, including pes planus, valgus and plantar fasciitis, a left foot disability, including pes planus, valgus, plantar fasciitis and a heel spur
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20073603
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,240 · Granted: 28% (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 20073603.
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.
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The Veteran's claim for specially-adapted housing assistance and a special home adaptation grant was denied because he does not meet the criteria for either benefit based on his service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD.
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