The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection as there was no medical evidence linking his current back disability to his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that there is insufficient medical documentation to relate the veteran's back condition to the left posterior scapular lacerations for which he is already service-connected, and the opinion contradicted by the veteran himself who did not mention an in-service injury.
- Claimed conditions
- status post L4-5 laminectomy and discectomy with pain, L5-S1 disc herniation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 8, 2007
- Citation
- 0713497
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 0713497.
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 service connection for degenerative disc disease other than IVDS, degenerative arthritis, spinal stenosis, L5-S1 disc herniation has been withdrawn by the Veteran through his authorized representative. As a result, the appeal is dismissed.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal to restore the 40 percent rating for IVDS from January 1, 2023 was dismissed as moot because the RO restored the rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there is a need for additional medical examination and opinion to address the etiology of the Veteran's low back disabilities, particularly whether they are related to service or caused by his service-connected bilateral flat feet.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, finding that his symptoms had their initial onset during service and have continued to worsen since then. The decision is based on the Veteran's lay statements regarding the onset and continuity of his lumbar spine symptoms.
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