The Board found that the appellant's current chronic low back disability was not incurred in or aggravated by wartime service, and arthritis of the lumbar spine could not be presumed to have been so incurred. The preponderance of evidence does not reveal a link between the appellant's current condition and his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the appellant's degenerative joint and disc disease and neuropathy were unrelated to the service-connected complaints or lower back symptoms treated in service.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 12, 2002
- Citation
- 0209662
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 0209662.
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 low back disorder to correct duty to assist errors, as the previous VA examinations and opinions are inadequate.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hearing loss, psychiatric disorder, neck disorder, and radiculopathy of both upper and lower extremities to correct duty-to-assist errors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of a disability rating for a low back disorder and entitlement to TDIU due to non-compliance with previous remand directives.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a low back disorder, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity on a secondary basis, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity on a secondary basis.
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