The Board granted service connection for a cervical spine disability, thoracolumbar spine disability, alcohol abuse disability as due to service-connected anxiety disorder, and peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities.
The deciding factor: The Board resolved reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran by finding that his neck and back disabilities were at least as likely as not related to injuries incurred during service. For the alcohol abuse disability, it was found to be proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disability (anxiety disorder).
- Claimed conditions
- cervical spine disability, to include degenerative disc disease status post fusion of C5-C6, thoracolumbar spine disability, to include degenerative arthritis, alcohol abuse disability as due to service-connected anxiety disorder, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2023
- Citation
- 23000272
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 granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for a bilateral knee disability, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, and chronic pain syndrome due to untimely notices of disagreement.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple disabilities, including cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, radiculopathies, a bladder disability, headaches, a left knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and bilateral conjunctivitis. The Board also granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a cervical spine disability to obtain an addendum medical opinion addressing the Veteran's in-service treatment for pack palsy with residual weakness.
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