The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability and compensation under 38 U.S.C. §1151 for a neck disability, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding the onset of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the Veteran's statements about experiencing symptoms during service and medical opinions considering both the Veteran's military duties and his VA treatment history.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine, Degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 25, 2022
- Citation
- 22017424
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 22017424.
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 Board granted an initial 20 percent rating for degenerative arthritis and DDD of the lumbar spine and a 10 percent rating for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, as well as degenerative arthritis of the bilateral hands. The AOJ is required to obtain additional VA treatment records and provide an addendum opinion addressing whether these conditions are related to military service.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a currently diagnosed lumbar spine disorder or residuals of a partial right parotidectomy, and therefore service connection for these conditions is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased rating and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining outstanding VA treatment records and referring the TDIU claim for extraschedular consideration.
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