The Board granted service connection for left and right lower extremity disabilities, gastrointestinal signs and symptoms, upper respiratory signs and symptoms, and a back disability, as well as an increased rating of 20 percent for the back disability.

The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms met the criteria for presumptive service connection under 38 U.S.C. § 1117 and 38 C.F.R. § 3.317 due to undiagnosed illness, and his back disability symptoms more nearly approximated forward flexion of greater than 30 degrees but not greater than 60 degrees.

Claimed conditions

left lower extremity disability manifested by neurological signs and symptoms such as numbness due to undiagnosed illness, right lower extremity disability manifested by neurological signs and symptoms such as numbness due to undiagnosed illness, disability manifested by gastrointestinal signs and symptoms due to undiagnosed illness, disability manifested upper respiratory signs and symptoms due to undiagnosed illness, herniated nucleus pulposus L4-5, postoperative

How they argued it

Presumptive (no nexus needed)

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

20%

Decision date

November 20, 2025

Citation

A25101120

Want to see how appeals like this one tend to go? Appeals like mine