The Board granted service connection for a back disability, neck disability, and major depressive disorder, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing conditions were aggravated by his military service.
The deciding factor: The evidence was in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's pre-existing back and neck disabilities were aggravated by service, and the psychiatric condition is secondary to the service-connected back and neck disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- back disability, to include low back pain with intermittent bilateral lumbar radiculopathy and advanced degenerative spondylosis of lumbar spine, neck disability, to include chronic neck pain with intermittent bilateral cervical radiculopathy, major depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 12, 2022
- Citation
- 22001621
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 remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a back disability due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding VA's failure to provide the Veteran with a VA examination prior to the rating decision.
- Dismissed
The claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for major depressive disorder is dismissed as moot because the earliest effective date was granted during the pendency of this appeal.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
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