The Board has granted service connection for degenerative joint and disc disease of the lumbar spine, finding that the Veteran's pain in his back after carrying a rucksack during service is related to his current condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's lay statements about recurrent back pain since service are credible and supported by competent medical evidence, resolving doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative joint and disc disease of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 18, 2026
- Citation
- 26002204
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 26002204.
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
For the period prior to October 29, 2021, SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) based on housebound status is denied.,For the entire appeal period, SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(l) based on need of regular aid and attendance is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded all issues to the VA for further action. The Veteran's claims are not granted or denied at this time.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded all issues to correct an error in providing the veteran with notice of his right to a pre-decisional hearing.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected other specified trauma and stressor related disorder is found to have caused weight gain, which in turn led to his current diagnosis of sleep apnea. Service connection for sleep apnea is granted as secondary to the service-connected condition. The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and bulging disc are not manifested by forward flexion of 30 degrees or less, nor by favorable ankylosis, so a rating greater than 20 percent is denied.
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