The Board has determined that the veteran's current back strain is not related to his military service or a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The VA medical examinations and private opinions have consistently found no evidence of a link between the veteran's current back condition and his military service, including his shell fragment wounds.
- Claimed conditions
- Back strain, Lumbosacral paraspinal pain, Spondylolisthesis at L5-S1
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 28, 2002
- Citation
- 0215132
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 0215132.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a higher rating for tinnitus, while remanding claims for service connection for an anxiety condition, back strain, bilateral pes planus, left shoulder condition, right knee condition, and dizziness.
- Denied
The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the Veteran's back condition and an earlier effective date for special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a creative organ.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and to obtain adequate medical opinions.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The rating in excess of 10 percent for back strain, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and hemorrhoids are not supported by the evidence. The claim for major depressive disorder with anxious distress is rated at 50 percent, which is the highest under the applicable criteria. Service connection for erectile dysfunction was also denied.
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