The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings, finding no competent medical evidence linking his current back disorder to service. The increased rating claims were also denied as there was no evidence showing that the veteran's wrist disabilities warranted a higher evaluation.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence establishing a nexus between the veteran's current low back disorders and any disease or injury incurred during active military service, nor did the VA examinations find any relationship to in-service injuries. The increased ratings for wrists were denied as there was no evidence showing that the veteran's wrist disabilities warranted a higher evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, Residuals of fracture of the right wrist, Residuals of fracture of the left wrist, Residuals of left acromioclavicular separation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 7, 2000
- Citation
- 0023734
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 0023734.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a retrospective medical opinion to assess the severity and manifestations of the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a lumbar spine disability, bilateral knee disabilities, and bilateral hip disabilities to obtain an adequate medical opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. §1151 for diabetes mellitus, Type 2 with bilateral lower extremity neuropathy secondary to medications taken for high cholesterol was denied due to the lack of new and relevant evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, plantar fasciitis with degenerative joint disease in both feet, and hypertension.
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