The Veteran's claim for an effective date of December 21, 2011 for the grant of service connection for thoracic spondylosis with lumbar strain and degenerative changes is granted. The Board also remanded the issue of entitlement to SMC based on the need for aid and attendance or housebound status.
The deciding factor: The Veteran submitted new and material evidence within one year of an August 2012 rating decision denying service connection, which led to a successful Social Security Administration (SSA) claim. The Board found that VA had a duty to provide the Veteran with a VA examination and readjudicate the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracic spondylosis, lumbar strain, degenerative changes
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 15, 2024
- Citation
- A24075498
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,948 · Granted: 29% (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 A24075498.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine disorder and an incomplete record of chiropractic care. The Veteran is requested to provide or authorize VA to obtain his treatment records from chiropractors, and an addendum opinion will be provided by a VA examiner.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a left knee strain with degenerative changes, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service injury.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for right hand arthritis and left hand arthritis have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating for lumbar strain, radiculopathy of the left sciatic nerve, and radiculopathy of the right sciatic nerve have been remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for lumbar strain and lumbar intervertebral disc syndrome with left sciatica. The right lower extremity sciatica claim is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.
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