The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine, cervical spine, and bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy disabilities with an effective date of February 9, 2015.
The deciding factor: New service department records added to the record after the May 2015 denial supported a finding that the Veteran was exposed to combat conditions during his deployment in Southwest Asia, which led to the award of benefits based on direct service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine post discectomy, Degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine post fusion, Left upper extremity radiculopathy associated with degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine post fusion, Right upper extremity radiculopathy associated with degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine post fusion
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- April 21, 2026
- Citation
- A26037334
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 A26037334.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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