The veteran's claim for service connection for thoracic kyphosis and thoracolumbar scoliosis was previously denied in July 1977. The evidence received since that decision does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim. Service connection for hernias as secondary to thoracic kyphosis and thoracolumbar scoliosis is also denied.
The deciding factor: The new evidence does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claims, nor does it suggest that the veteran did not have pre-existing thoracic kyphosis and thoracolumbar scoliosis during service or show that it was aggravated. The medical evidence also does not indicate a relationship between hernias and thoracic kyphosis and thoracolumbar scoliosis.
- Claimed conditions
- thoracic kyphosis, thoracolumbar scoliosis, hernias
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 24, 2006
- Citation
- 0621838
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 141 · Granted: 20% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0621838.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection was dismissed as he did not submit a valid Notice of Disagreement or new and material evidence regarding the effective date.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,The Veteran's claims for hernias and jaw pain are denied due to lack of current disabilities related to the conditions.,The Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as alcohol use disorder) is denied as it is not service-connected.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a psychiatric disability as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and denied service connection for hernias. The issues of service connection for encephalopathy and special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance/housebound status were remanded.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow all forms of substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational background and occupational experience. The Board finds the totality of the evidence more probative than his lay statements in determining that his service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
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.