The Veteran's request to reopen his claim of service connection for a back injury is granted. The Board also remanded the issue of service connection for lumbar spine disability due to insufficient evidence.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner’s opinion was inadequate as it did not discuss the lay statements regarding ongoing pain since the time of the in-service fall.
- Claimed conditions
- back injury, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease (DDD), lumbar stenosis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 19, 2021
- Citation
- 21009119
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 21009119.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and DDD, as well as right and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to the now service-connected lumbar spine condition. The decision is based on a finding of relative equipoise in the evidence regarding whether these conditions are related to service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar spondylosis and stenosis, finding that there is at least a 50/50 balance of evidence to support his claim due to continuity of symptoms since service.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of various conditions as secondary to left ankle condition due to an improper concurrent election in a previous appeal.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The appeal has been dismissed due to the death of the Appellant, and no decision can be made on the underlying claims.
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