The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder and restoration of service connection for a right inguinal hernia, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable error in the May 1991 rating decision severing service connection for the right inguinal hernia. The Board also found that the evidence did not support service connection for the low back disorder.
The deciding factor: The veteran's service medical records showed no findings attributed to a low back injury or disability, and his post-service evidence of a back disorder occurred many years after his last period of honorable service. There was clear and unmistakable error in the May 1991 rating decision that granted service connection for a right inguinal hernia.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, Right inguinal hernia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 17, 2005
- Citation
- 0513368
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 0513368.
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 a compensable rating for the Veteran's right inguinal hernia repair due to lack of evidence of recurrent or disabling symptoms.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his right inguinal hernia, finding that it does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under either the old or new VA rating criteria.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left ankle and lumbosacral spine disabilities were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings under applicable VA rating criteria.
- Granted
The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at a 40 percent evaluation, effective from the date of the May 2013 rating decision.
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