The Board found that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for residuals of a back injury. However, it was determined that the veteran's current back condition did not result from an in-service injury or disease, and thus denied the claim.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence showed that the veteran developed degenerative changes in his spine many years after service, which were not related to any inservice injury or disease.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a back injury
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 13, 2002
- Citation
- 0206224
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 0206224.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for residuals of a back injury, head injury, and neck injury as the evidence did not support that these injuries occurred during or while traveling from active duty.
- Denied
The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for residuals of a back injury and an effective date earlier than May 26, 2023, for the award of service connection for residuals of a back injury.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for migraines and residuals of a back injury due to untimely notice of disagreement.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for residuals of back, head, and neck injuries due to incomplete efforts in obtaining the Veteran's National Guard service records.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.