The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar disc herniation and right inguinal hernia, finding no evidence of such conditions during his active duty or reserve service.
The deciding factor: There was no probative evidence showing that the veteran incurred a back injury or right inguinal hernia while on active duty for training or in active naval service.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar disc herniation, right inguinal hernia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 24, 2002
- Citation
- 0218684
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 0218684.
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 has determined that additional evidence is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for gastrointestinal disability, right inguinal hernia, hiatal hernia, and bilateral hearing loss. The claims are being remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Veteran's lumbosacral strain disability was rated at 10 percent prior to February 3, 2025. The rating was increased to 20 percent effective February 3, 2025.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar disc herniation with status-post discectomy L5-S1 is related to his active duty service and grants service connection for this condition.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's low back disability, finding that the evidence is at least in approximate balance as to whether his current condition is related to an injury sustained during active duty.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
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.