The Board has granted service connection for lumbar degenerative disc disease, left and right lower leg radiculopathy, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and major depressive disorder), and headaches. Service connection was denied for prostate disorder.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports the Veteran's claims of in-service stressors leading to current diagnoses of PTSD and major depressive disorder, as well as a link between his lumbar degenerative disc disease and lower leg radiculopathy. The Board found that the Veteran's statements regarding service-related experiences were credible but not determinative for causation.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar degenerative disc disease, left lower leg disorder (radiculopathy), right lower leg disorder (radiculopathy), acquired psychiatric disorder, to include major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), headaches, prostate disorder (benign prostate hyperplasia)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2024
- Citation
- 24000603
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,960 · Granted: 36% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 24000603.
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 has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records and will provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches was reopened due to new and material evidence, and the Board found that his current headaches are related to service. Service connection is granted.
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