The Board granted service connection for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine, as secondary to a service-connected lumbosacral strain with spinal stenosis and spondylosis.
The deciding factor: The evidence is approximately evenly balanced as to whether the current degenerative changes of the lumbar spine are caused by her service-connected lumbosacral strain with spinal stenosis and spondylosis, and reasonable doubt was resolved in favor of the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative changes of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- March 24, 2025
- Citation
- A25027095
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 service connection for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected degenerative changes of the lumbar spine and increased the disability rating for the lumbar spine to 20 percent effective August 18, 2023.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a back disability to verify the Veteran's period(s) of active duty for training (ACDUTRA), inactive duty for training (IDT), and/or active duty for special work (ADSW) from September 2013 to August 2021, and to obtain a VA examination.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity sciatica associated with the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, but remanded claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
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