The VA determined that there was insufficient new and material evidence to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for a lower back disability. The Board found that the veteran had indeed submitted such evidence, but concluded that his current back condition is not related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA medical examiner did not find any evidence linking the veteran's current back disability to his military service or any incidents therein.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar segment of the spine, lower back strain
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 6, 2006
- Citation
- 0616457
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 0616457.
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 service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, benign prostatic hyperplasia, erectile dysfunction, and lower back strain as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or caused by active service.
- Dismissed
The appeal for an earlier effective date and a compensable rating for chronic cough was denied, while the claims for service connection for lower back strain, spinal fusion surgery, L3-4 foraminotomy, L4-5 discectomy, and gout in the right foot were remanded.
- Partly granted
The appeal for service connection for sleep disorder is dismissed, and the Veteran's claims for service connection for alcohol use disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, somatic symptom disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and lower back strain are denied. The Board granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for lower back strain and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from June 25, 2015.
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