The Veteran's claim for service connection for lower lumbar, previously evaluated as degenerative arthritis of the spine, was reopened and granted. The effective date is set at May 1, 2018.,Service connection for PTSD was granted with a rating of 70 percent. The effective date for this grant is also set at May 1, 2018.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's low back impairment is causally related to her military service and the April 2023 VA nurse practitioner's opinion supports a nexus between the current disability and in-service injury.,The December 2014 VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's PTSD was less likely caused by service, but this opinion did not consider significant probative evidence from the April 2023 VA nurse practitioner.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the spine, Lumbar strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- January 30, 2024
- Citation
- 24004490
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 857 · Granted: 35% (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 24004490.
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 granted effective dates of July 10, 2024 for service connection for PTSD, lumbar strain, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, right knee degenerative arthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis, right ankle degenerative arthritis, and left ankle degenerative arthritis.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability and other disabilities have been granted, including a TDIU based on his inability to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to these conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 50 percent effective February 13, 2021. His left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy is rated at 80 percent from April 21, 2013 to February 12, 2021. The Veteran's TDIU claim has an earlier effective date of April 21, 2013.
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