The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with spondylolisthesis is at least as likely as not related to his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's disability had a mechanical origin from carrying heavy equipment during service and was not caused by a specific unique Gulf War occurrence even though it happened while deployed in Southwest Asia. The examiner provided sufficient rationale to support an award of direct service connection within the 'at least as likely as not' burden of proof applicable to VA claims.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with spondylolisthesis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2026
- Citation
- A26005343
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 A26005343.
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 service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with spondylolisthesis, left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with spondylolisthesis, hypertension, constipation, and bilateral hypertensive retinopathy. The Veteran's skin condition is considered part of the service connection for fungal onychomycosis, tinea pedis and hyperkeratosis.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to May 5, 2023, and a rating in excess of 40 percent on and after May 5, 2023, for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with spondylolisthesis due to the need for a more thorough medical examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board of Veterans' Appeals remands the issues of service connection for a recurrent heart disability and rating for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with spondylolisthesis due to non-compliance with previous remand instructions.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for his lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with spondylolisthesis as secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.
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