The Board has granted service connection for lumbar degenerative arthritis and degenerative disc disease, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service. Service connection was denied for an acquired psychiatric disorder due to lack of evidence linking it to service or a service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's current back DDD is related to his service as he provided credible testimony about repetitive lifting and a back injury during service, which caused wear and tear on his back. The acquired psychiatric disorder was not linked to service due to lack of evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease (DDD), acquired psychiatric disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 24, 2023
- Citation
- 23040425
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 23040425.
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
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his unspecified neurocognitive disorder, which was diagnosed after a September 2021 heart surgery. The issues are about service connection on the merits.
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