The Veteran's service connection claims for degenerative joint and disc disease in the lumbar spine, left shoulder condition, and PTSD are all granted. The Veteran has a current diagnosis of degenerative joint and disc disease in the lumbar spine that had its onset during service. However, there is no evidence to support a current diagnosis for a left shoulder condition or PTSD.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's current diagnoses do not meet the criteria for service connection as they are not supported by competent medical evidence and the Veteran does not have specialized education, training, or experience to diagnose himself with these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint and disc disease in the lumbar spine, Left shoulder condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2026
- Citation
- A26026383
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 A26026383.
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 decided to remand the Veteran's claims for cervical spine condition and left shoulder condition due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, as VA failed to provide the Veteran with VA examinations and medical opinions to assess the nature and etiology of his conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's back and neck conditions are not related to her active duty service, but has remanded for further examination regarding her bilateral shoulder conditions, knee conditions, rheumatoid arthritis, and GERD.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for hearing loss was denied.,The appeals for service connection for a broken nose, sinus condition, and tinnitus were dismissed due to untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder condition and a left shoulder condition, both of which are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected back and bilateral lower extremity conditions.
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