The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and diagnoses of record for a cervical spine disability and bilateral shoulder disability. The claims for headaches, back pain, and numbness in the arms have been remanded.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner provided an opinion that the Veteran's current back condition was more likely than not related to service and events in service, including heavy physical work as a combat engineer and possible injury during service.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disability (including arthritis), neck and shoulder disability, numbness in bilateral arms
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- August 24, 2022
- Citation
- 22048356
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 22048356.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for gastrointestinal problems and service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the back. The claims for other conditions were remanded due to inadequate VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a neck and shoulder disability, as well as a disability manifested by numbness in the bilateral arms (excluding hands), due to an undiagnosed illness. The VA is required to obtain new medical opinions to address the Veteran's contentions regarding Persian Gulf War exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a neck and shoulder disability, including arthritis, and a bilateral foot condition, including flatfeet, metatarsalgia, and hallux valgus. The reasons are that the Veteran's service treatment records were not found, and further examination is needed to determine if her current disabilities are related to her active duty service.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a disability for which service connection is sought. As such, no service connection is granted.
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