The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder and hepatitis B and C. The claim for a low back disorder was denied as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that led to current disability, and the RO found that any current condition is not related to military service. For hepatitis B and C, the Board noted the absence of medical evidence linking the conditions to service despite the veteran's assertions about potential risk factors such as a bite to his right ear during service.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that there was no direct evidence linking the veteran's current low back disorder or hepatitis B and C to military service. The RO found that the veteran did not provide sufficient medical evidence to support these claims, particularly given the lack of in-service diagnosis or treatment for either condition.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disorder, hepatitis B and C
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 28, 2005
- Citation
- 0526490
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0526490.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for a VA examination and medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's low back disorder and bilateral hip disorder are related to his service-connected Crohn's disease.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back disorder, skin disorder, tongue condition, right chest costochondritis, and right hand shaking due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that side effects from prescribed medications contributed substantially and materially to his accidental motorcycle collision resulting in fatal injuries.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for dermatitis/eczema, sleep apnea, a psychiatric disorder (including MDD and PTSD), hypertension, COPD, low back disorder, and prostate cancer are all granted. The Board found that the evidence supported these determinations based on direct service connection.
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